Ring Around the Rosie
by AintFraidaNoGhosts
Summary: The Doctor & Jack are stranded in London and, based on the Doctor's alien gifts, open a psychic detective agency. When an old serial killer comes out to play, it's up to our heroes and DI Rose Tyler to play his deadly game before any more lives are lost
1. Chapter 1

Captain Jack Harkness dodged expertly through the streets of London, tray of coffee in one hand and his nose buried in a file folder. He instinctively rounded a corner and entered a nondescript door, chattering as soon as he crossed the threshold.

"Hey, Doc! Looks like the chief was impressed with our work on that chop shop case. They sent me over with a 'kidnapping,' and I use that word lightly. Some wealthy plastic surgeon is putting up a fuss because someone snatched his wife's akita right out of the yard..."

Jack hung up his coat and keys and set the coffee down in the little kitchen. He entered the main office and stopped dead at the sight that greeted him. Hysterical laughter threatened to overcome him, but he covered it with a cough. "Um...morning...what's all this?"

The Doctor, Jack's partner and friend who also happened to be a 900 year old alien from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation Kasterborus, was contorted impressively on a yoga mat in between their two desks. An Enya song was playing from his laptop, and he was holding a book in his outstretched hand. Still clad in his brown pinstripes trousers, long-sleeved blue t-shirt, battered white trainers and with his brainy specs perched on his nose, he looked every inch the dedicated pupil.

"Yoga," he answered, shooting the book an annoyed glare. "It's supposed to help me get in touch with my inner...well…innerness I suppose. Really I'm just uncomfortable."

"I'm sure I could find plenty of uses for your improved flexibility," Jack flirted with a charming grin.

"Behave," the Doctor admonished, though Jack could see the corners of his mouth twitching. He detangled his limbs and stretched them out with a groan. "Oh, I don't know how some of you humans do this every day. Did you know there is such a thing as Hot Yoga? Yoga in a hundred degree room? Honestly, this is already unpleasant enough, do you really want to be pouring sweat in the process?"

Jack sighed and tossed the file folder he'd been reading down onto the yoga mat. "Chief Tyler wants us to take a look at this one. Dognapping. Beneath your skills in my opinion, but hey, it's money, right?"

The Doctor was already leafing through the file folder. "It was her husband. Couldn't take the yapping."

Jack gaped at him. "How do you _do _that?"

"Oh, the past is easy, Captain Jack," the Doctor answered breezily as he moved from the yoga mat to sit in his frankly magnificent ergonomic desk chair. "The future's what's dodgy. All those possibilities shifting about, the smallest detail able to change everything at a moment's notice. Madness."

"I don't know how you don't go bat shit crazy," Jack said, sitting down at his own desk.

"My brain is built for it. I spent nearly a century training," he answered simply as he switched off the music and glanced through his email. "Oh, really? I'm sorry, PrettyKitty69, I'm not looking to chat with you. Delete." Jack grinned, but the Doctor pulled off his glasses and scrubbed his hands over his face. "The chief is sending us three cases a week. At this rate, I don't know if we'll be able to keep taking on private clients. Even with how quickly I work through them."

"He may as well bring us on officially," Jack smirked at him over his own laptop. "At least it would be a guaranteed paycheck."

The Doctor glared at him. "Is that all you care about? Getting paid? A couple of thousand pounds for getting a rapist off the street? What about a job well done, hm? What about keeping London safe?"

"It's easy for you to be the noble one. You don't have rent and bills to worry about. Or any pressing social engagements." Jack waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"You are more than welcome to stay on the TARDIS, you know. Just because she can't move doesn't mean she's _died_ on us. Your room is still right where you left it."

"And what if I wanted to bring someone home? How would I explain it?" Jack asked, crossing his arms across his chest. "'Welcome to my swingin' pad. Oh, it's bigger on the inside? Hadn't noticed. This is my roommate, don't mind him. He's just a grumpy old alien who hasn't gotten laid for several decades. He won't bother us.'"

"Everything is about sex with you humans!" the Doctor shook his head. "Don't know how you accomplish anything-"

The Doctor suddenly stiffened, hands flying into his hair and gripping tightly. Jack was on his feet immediately, crossing the room and standing in front of his friend's desk, trying to get him to focus.

"Doctor, what is it? What's going on?"

"Something's…happened…" he managed to force out through clenched teeth. "A murder…young woman…they just found her. It's…significant, but blocked…like it's part of my timeline…"

"So that means we're involved, right?"

"So far…"

"Can you get us a location? We might be able to save some time, meet the police there."

"They're…" he rested his elbows on the desk and gripped his hair harder, making it stand on end even more than usual. "It's an alley? Trash? There's a restaurant, a yellow awning…_Bella Notte?"_

"I know where that is," Jack set into action, tossing the Time Lord his pinstriped jacket and long coat. He pulled on his own vintage greatcoat and grabbed his keys. "We'll take the Echo."

* * *

><p>Detective Inspector Rose Tyler knelt over the body of a young woman, trying to remain detached and observant but failing miserably. This was her first case in London, and it hit very close to home. The victim was blonde and slender, dressed in a smart suit and heels, clearly on her way home from a late night at work when she was accosted. A situation Rose often found herself in.<p>

The difference seemed to be that Rose was well-versed in self defense and carried her tazer and pepper spray at all times. The woman apparently did not have the same advantage.

DC Jake Simmonds came over to her, holding a black designer purse. "We found this down the alley a bit. Funny thing is, credit cards and cash are still in the wallet. Smith is looking through it now"

"So this wasn't a robbery," Rose once again glanced over at the body. "What was her name?"

"Jocelyn Taylor," Rose's partner, DI Mickey Smith came up behind her and handed over said wallet. "According to her business cards, she was a junior attorney."

Rose sighed, looking at the pretty, smiling woman in her ID photo. "Twenty-six years old. All right boys, let's start earning our paychecks, shall we?"

Rose and Mickey began a cursory walk-through of the scene, trying to recreate the crime for their report. Rose took in everything with her carefully-trained eye, roaming over the dirty alleyway, finally coming to rest on the girl's body.

Initial observations seemed to indicate that she was bludgeoned, repeatedly, in the head. Rose winced internally at her awful wounds. They hadn't yet located the murder weapon, but then they had just begun their investigation. Rose pulled on a pair of latex gloves and crouched down by the body, visually assessing the young girl.

Something was niggling at the back of Rose's mind as she looked her over. She wore very little jewelry, save for a pair of sparkling diamond studs and a silver ring on the middle finger of her left hand. It was intricate and lovely, a thin band that had the look of different strands of metal being woven like a basket. It wasn't flashy or ostentatious, unlike her clothing and handbag, which screamed money.

"Here I thought I knew every beautiful woman in the department," a smooth, American-accented man started from behind Rose. "I've never been so happy to be wrong in my life."

Rose wanted to be annoyed with the person who had the audacity to flirt at a crime scene, but something about his voice made her smile begrudgingly. She stood and turned, completely unprepared for the sight that greeted her.

Standing before her, looking completely at ease in the middle of a grisly murder scene, were two of the most gorgeous men she'd ever seen in her life. The one she assumed had delivered the pick-up line was grinning charmingly at her, his movie-star face nearly making her go weak at the knees. With his old-fashioned coat and thick wavy hair, he was classic Hollywood handsome, and it seemed like he was perfectly aware of it.

The man standing next to him, however…well, Rose couldn't quite get over the way her heart rate sped up significantly at the sight of him. He was tall and slim, his seemingly unremarkable brown hair and eyes combined into an alarmingly attractive face. He was studying Rose intently, and she found she couldn't tear her gaze away from his. One of his eyebrows was cocked, his expression intense and serious, as if he had no idea what to make of her.

_Pull yourself together,_ Rose silently chastised herself. _He's just a bloke. No reason to get all gooey over him._

"I assume," she began, attempting to maintain her preferred professional yet personable air. "That my PC's have a good reason for not kicking you out. Are you authorized to be here?"

"Sorry, Rose!" Mickey had jogged over quickly to join them. "I literally just called your…the Chief to bring these guys on. Shoulda known they'd be here before we'd even got the paperwork printed." Mickey turned his attention back to the mystery men and grinned at them. "Thanks for getting down here so quickly. This is my partner, Detective Inspector Rose Tyler. She just transferred from Glasglow. Rose, this is Dr. John Smith and Jack Harkness. They run London Investigations 'n Detective Agency. They're…consultants…sort of."

Rose cocked an eyebrow at the pair. "London Investigations 'n Detective Agency?"

"LINDA for short," the movie star answered, holding out his hand. Rose took it, and he immediately brushed a kiss over her knuckles. "I came up with the 'n. Captain Jack Harkness."

"Stop flirting, Jack. This is a crime scene," Dr. Smith warned, his attention on Rose not wavering in the slightest. She held his gaze for a moment and he smiled gently at her. "Hello."

"Hello," Rose replied softly, holding out her hand almost shyly to him.

"Oh! Er…John Smith!" he finally seemed to break out of his daze and took Rose's hand in greeting. She couldn't help the breath that wooshed out of her lungs at the contact. His grip was cool and strong, and butterflies instantly took flight in her stomach. She'd never felt such a rush as the slightest contact before.

"Good to meet you, Dr. Smith," Rose told him, willing her voice not to sound too breathy.

"Just the Doctor, please," he replied, dropping her hand quickly and turning away to examine the scene. "Well, now that the introductions are out of the way, what do we have here?"

Rose felt a bit dizzy at his abrupt change in demeanor, soft intensity to seasoned professional in five seconds flat. "Oh, um…murder, obviously. Victim was Jocelyn Taylor, twenty-six, was a young attorney according to her business cards. Cause of death seems to be blunt-force trauma, but the coroner will look things over more thoroughly in the autopsy. We found her purse further down," Rose gestured vaguely towards the mouth of the alleyway. "Indicating that maybe she tried to use it as a weapon or dropped it in a struggle. Either way, she ended up twenty feet away."

"Doctor, can you see if you can get anything off the body?" Mickey asked. "Paint us a more accurate picture?" He handed over a pair of latex gloves and took out his pad and paper.

"I'll see what I can do." The Doctor snapped the gloves into place before he crouched down next to the body and took the victim's hand in his.

"What're you doing?" Rose started, appalled. "This is a crime scene, you can't touch the body! Not until forensics has been able to look at it!"

"'S all right, Rose," Mickey calmed her down, putting a hand on her shoulder. "He's a psychic detective, let him do what he's gotta do ."

Rose gaped at Mickey and turned towards Captain Harkness. "A psychic? Seriously?"

"Best in the business," Jack replied, winking at her. "Prepare to be blown away."

"I've gotta see this," Rose rolled her eyes. She was skeptical by nature, but strangely had a hard time questioning this Dr. Smith. Logically, she knew the Chief would not approve such a huge expense if they were useless. They'd apparently worked with Mickey enough times for them to be familiar, and he obviously trusted him. There was also something about this odd pair that made Rose feel almost sacrilegious for doubting them.

She turned her attention back to the Doctor just as his expression suddenly stiffened and he began to speak. Mickey stood poised to take notes. "She was…working late. It wasn't unusual, she was on a pretty big case. Could mean promotion if she nailed it. She left around 22:00, decided to walk part of the way, clear her head. She noticed a shadow following her, so she walked faster. So did the shadow…he caught up to her…she tried to fight back…check her nails, there may be some DNA there, or clothing fibres, maybe some hairs on her handbag…but he was too strong for her. He overpowered her, pulled her into the alley, she lost her purse…Oh, God, he had a _bat_…"

The Doctor's eyes suddenly shot open and he dropped Jocelyn's hand, breathing heavily. "Sorry," he began, looking directly at Rose, as if he was personally letting her down by breaking off like that. "The last bit never gets any easier."

Jack and Mickey moved to help him up. "It's okay, Doctor, that was fantastic. Thank you." Mickey clapped the man on the shoulder and turned to Rose. "What do you think, Inspector Tyler? Did you get anything else?"

"That…was amazing," she began. "I mean, not much left after that, is there? This was the only thing that struck me as odd," Rose crouched down and gestured to the ring she'd noticed earlier. "I mean, look at her clothes. Designer. Armani suit, Manolo Blahnik shoes. Gucci handbag and wallet. Diamond earrings. What's with this ring? It just seems…out of place."

"Hmmm…" Mickey came down next to her and inspected the ring. "Maybe her boyfriend gave it to her. Sentimental?"

"No," the Doctor suddenly spoke up. He crouched on the other side of Rose. She tried not to let his proximity distract her too much. "No, DI Tyler is right. There's…something about this ring. It wasn't hers…" He again gripped Jocelyn's hand in his, leaning down to sniff at the ring. "This looks silver, but it's actually copper that's been silver-plated. If she'd had it long, the plating would have worn off and turned her finger green. There's your physical evidence. But he put this on her…her killer, he carried it with him, he _planned _this…"

"The ring…" Rose turned to look at the Doctor, this extraordinary man she'd just met, yet trusted implicitly after barely ten minutes. "It's significant, yeah? There's meaning behind it? This wasn't a random killing."

"I can't get a good reading on the killer," the Doctor was straining, Rose could tell. "I need touch, Jocelyn could have been a conduit but she didn't have enough contact. All I'm getting is...boredom? Indifference? He was...completely emotionless."

"So why give her jewelry?" Mickey asked, puzzled for a moment before realization broke across his face. "Oh, my God…"

"What is it, Smith?" Jack asked."

"Just…this isn't the first young woman we've found dead from trauma…there was another one, last month. Still unsolved, too. Come on, Rose, we need to get back to the station, I want to get a look at those crime scene photos. Simmonds, can you stay? Supervise forensics?"

"Yes, sir," Jake replied.

"We'll follow you," Jack said, gesturing to the Doctor. The pair of them headed towards a deep blue Echo.

Rose turned back to Mickey, raising and eyebrow and sending him a cheeky grin. "I'm driving."


	2. Chapter 2

For what seemed like the millionth time in the last ten minutes, Rose glanced in the rearview mirror and noted the deep blue Toyota trailing them. She could make out the two men in the front seat and Jack gave her a cheeky little wave. She blushed and turned her attention back to the road.

"So what was going on with the eyes back at the crime scene?" Mickey asked teasingly.

Rose, of course, knew exactly what he was talking about. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, come on, Rose," he shot back. "I've known you nearly quarter of a century now. I know the eyes. And you were giving them to the Doctor."

"Was not," she said childishly, even going as far as to stick her tongue out at him.

Mickey grinned. "Admit it, you want to know more about them, don't ya? You're curious, Rose, I can tell. All you have to do is ask. I've got the info, the 411."

Rose chuckled. "You're the man in the know, you are. Come on, who wouldn't be curious? Psychic detective and his charming sidekick? When did you first meet them?"

"Oh, maybe…six months ago?" Mickey was thoughtful. "Yeah, must have been. The Doctor kept calling in tips to the department. Here we brought him in for questioning, thinking he was on the inside of the crime circuit. Turns out he was psychic. Proved it right there. Told us about our past, put his fingers on our head and read our mind. Was real polite about it, too, told us to put things behind a door that we didn't want to see. Chief put him on a case, he brought Jack along. Closed the thing in about two days. It was amazing."

"And what does Jack do in all of this? Is he psychic, too?"

"Jack?" Mickey sputtered out a laugh. "Naw, he's just…support, kinda? He's brilliant in his own right, real smart and brave. He knows the Doctor and they're really in sync with each other. He can make sense of the crazier visions or get him to focus when he needs to. They're good partners."

Rose's heart sank a little at his words. "Like…_partners _partners? Are they…together?"

Mickey out-and-out guffawed, and Rose couldn't help but smile at his reaction. "You kidding me? Jack probably wouldn't object, he's hit on nearly everyone on the force. And I do mean _everyone. _The Doctor, though…he's had almost every woman and a few of the men asking him out but he doesn't really seem interested in anyone. Not sure why. I mean, 'S not like we go down to the pub every weekend or anything. We get along at work, but that's about it."

"Right," Rose replied. "So the Doctor…he's single, yeah?"

"He's never mentioned anyone, doesn't wear a ring. Suppose he is." Mickey grinned slyly at Rose. "Why do you want to know?"

Rose blushed brilliantly. "No reason…"

"Oh, come on!"

"Mickey!" she scolded. "We're investigating a murder. This is my first case here in London and I want to make a good impression, yeah? Plus I just broke things off with that awful Jimmy Stone up in Glasgow. It's not a good time to let a man distract me."

Mickey gave her a skeptical look. "Yeah…okay…"

They were silent for a few moments, Mickey watching the passing scenery, when Rose spoke again.

"Mind you," she began, giving him a cheeky grin. "He is a bit of all right…"

* * *

><p><em>"Can't you hear that boom-ba-doom-boom-boom-ba-doom-boom baby that super bass…"<em>

The Doctor groaned in frustration and switched off the car radio. "Honestly, Jack, can't we listen to something else besides the local top 40? Whatever happened to classic rock? Ian Dury and the Blockheads? The Rolling Stones? I'd take the Beatles over Niki Minaj."

"You're just jealous that I got the singing Nazi part in _The Producers."_

"Dreadfully," the Doctor answered, deadpan. "Makes me wish I hadn't turned down the part of Leo Bloom. Maybe we wouldn't have had to open a detective agency."

"Wait…they offered you the part? You didn't even try out!"

"Well, can you blame them? Look at me."

"Oh, trust me, I do. Often and generally accompanied by naughty thoughts."

The Doctor smirked and turned his attention to the passing scenery. They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments before Jack spoke once more.

"You seemed quite taken with Detective Inspector Tyler."

The Doctor glanced back at him, looking thoughtful. "I wouldn't quite use the word 'taken.' Intrigued? Curious? Confuzzled? Oh, remind me never to say that again. Let's go with intrigued. She was very…intriguing."

"Oh, I'll say."

"Can your mind stay out of the gutter for a moment, please?" the Doctor sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "And did you notice her last name? Maybe she's related to Chief Tyler…though it's common enough that maybe not. She's brilliant, obviously. Friendly…."

"Attractive…" Jack supplied.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "I suppose she's nice-enough looking…for a human. But she's also the only person I've encountered in the seven months, two weeks, and four days since we've been stranded on Earth whose future timelines are practically invisible to me."

Jack turned to the Doctor briefly, eyes wide. "You're joking?"

"Wish I were. Your timelines are practically nonexistent to me as well, but I can gather it's because your future is so entwined with my own."

"Awww," Jack grinned. "You plan on keeping me around?"

"As long as you're useful," he teased back before turning serious once more. "I'm 900 years old, Jack. It takes a lot to surprise me, and Rose Tyler did that in spades today. Even when I first met you, there were other potential paths you could have taken. But Rose…there's nothing there. It's very unusual. And these glimpses of timelines can tell me a lot about a person. I don't like being at a disadvantage. I don't like not knowing what to expect."

"Welcome to the world, Doc. So what do you think it means?"

"Well, it could mean that she'll be working closely with us on the case and her future is very dependent on the outcome. It could be that she's a complicated event in time and space. It could be that she's an anomaly. Or it could mean that we're going to run off tomorrow to live a happy domestic life with several adorable half Time Lord offspring."

Jack snorted. "I don't think it's that last one. It'd take a special kind of lady to come between our bromance."

The Doctor turned to stare at Jack, wrinkling his nose in confusion. "Bromance?"

Jack shrugged. "I heard it on TV the other day, decided to try it out. It fits, right?"

The Doctor turned back towards the window, the corners of his mouth twitching. "Well, I suppose it's accurate enough."

* * *

><p>The Doctor was quite impressed with how professional and take-charge Rose and Mickey appeared from the moment they entered the station. By the time he and Jack had come in, not two minutes after them, the partners were already on their computers, undoubtedly deep into the case research. Before they could go over to the desks and offer any help, DCI Pete Tyler leaned out of his office, looking stressed.<p>

"Jack, Doctor," he greeted briefly. "Can I see you both for a moment?"

"Sure thing, Chief," Jack replied.

The pair of them headed into the office, Chief Tyler closing the door behind them before striding across the room and sitting down at his desk. "DI Smith called ahead. I heard you two were at the crime scene before the tape had even been put up. Thank you. You know the routine." He handed over their standard contract, which the Doctor read briefly before raising an eyebrow at the consultants' fee.

"There seems to be a typo in the contract, Chief Tyler," he told him, pointing out the number.

"No, that's accurate. You'll notice that there is an exclusivity clause in the contract as well. I'm hoping you'll agree not to take on any other cases while this one is active. Is the amount enough to cover any losses?

"More than," Jack told him, his eyes wide at the number. "What's so different about this that we need to devote all of our time?"

Chief Tyler sighed and leaned back in his chair. "You two are good detectives, even without the Doctor's gifts. I want you two to help in any capacity you can. Not that I think the team isn't capable, but I want all hands and all focus on this. DI's Tyler and Smith have been told to clear their desks as well."

The Doctor raised his eyebrow. "What aren't you telling us, DCI Tyler?"

He sighed again. "I don't want to say anything until it's confirmed, but I have a hunch about this. When Smith called and told me they'd found an odd ring…well…let's just say it was familiar."

"Right," the Doctor said, signing his alias with a flourish, passing the paper over to Jack so he could do the same.

"Anything you need from us…" Jack trailed off, hoping the rest would be understood.

"Thank you," Chief Tyler told them quietly. "Please…just…do everything you can. There are a lot of reasons I want my best hands on deck for this one."

* * *

><p>Mickey and Rose were bent over a case file when the Doctor and Jack exited Chief Tyler's office. The Doctor hurried over when he noticed Rose's face go pale.<p>

"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, standing behind her and pulling on his glasses so he could see the case file.

"It's…really hard to tell. There aren't any close-ups ," Rose answered, turning to look at him and gesturing to the picture. "But on this one, it's close enough to her hand that you can that the rings are eerily similar. They're on the same finger, too. Same color, same style…the one in the photos is thinner, though. Almost like Jocelyn's had another…I don't know…layer to it?"

"Huh," the Doctor stated. "May I?" He gestured to the folder.

Rose turned to look at him, offering a small smile with her quiet, "Of course," before handing it over. He didn't notice how her breath caught when fingers brushed his. He also didn't notice how, if it weren't for his superior respiratory system, his most likely would have as well.

Nope, didn't notice _at all_.

He returned her smile and glanced down at the crime scene photos in front of him. It _was _difficult to see, to the human eye, anyway. He was impressed that Rose has been able to note the difference, especially without Jocelyn's ring right there for comparison. The designs were very similar, the look of the weaving nearly identical except the additional layer.

"Well done, Tyler," he murmured, turning his attention on her and grinning. "So we need to get a closer look at these. Where's…" he consulted the case file for the victim's name. "Lara's ring now?"

"Most likely it was released to the family if it wasn't considered it evidence. Would hate to be the DI responsible for _that _oversight," Mickey stated.

"Be fair, Mickey," Rose defended. "It looks just like another piece of jewelry. I might not have even given it a second thought if it hadn't been for the Doctor here."

He had to admit, DI Tyler had impressed him so far. He could already gather that she was a brilliant detective, friendly and personable, but standing up for an unknown colleague? She hadn't even been on the force at the time.

He didn't realize he was beaming quite goofily at her until Jack elbowed him in the ribs and shot him a knowing grin.

The Doctor huffed and set his expression back to neutral. "So…next move, I should think. We need to see the two rings close-up, compare them, see if there could be a connection. How do we go about doing that?"

"We'll need to wait until the forensics is finished with the scene," Mickey answered. "And we need to see if the last ring is still in evidence or if it was released to the family."

"And if it was, we need a court order to retrieve it," Rose added.

"We should talk to the families anyway," Mickey said. "Make sure the ring didn't belong to either of the victims. Cover all our bases. We still have to inform the Taylors." He sighed and rubbed his hands over his eyes. "Favorite part of the job."

"Why don't I take care of that, Micks?" Rose asked him softly. "You can go find out about the other ring, yeah? Get an update from Jack? I'll find out where Jocelyn's family lives, go break the news, bring them down to the station? We can ask them about the ring. I'll call Barry and get him to email me a picture of it to show the family if he's not done photographing the crime scene, yeah?"

Mickey shot Rose a grateful smile, and the Doctor once again wondered at this young woman's compassion. "Thanks, Rose. Jack, you want to join me? You have a knack for charming people out of whatever we need."

"Glad I could bring my own special gifts to the investigation," Jack said flirtatiously before turning his attention to his partner. "Doctor, why don't you go with Rose? You can see if you can psychically get anything from Jocelyn's family?"

"Yes, sir!" The Doctor turned to the pretty detective and grinned. "Looks like you're stuck with me for the rest of the day, DI Tyler. Whatever will you do with me?"

Rose grinned back at him, tongue caught between her teeth and his smile widened. "Oh, Dr. Smith…I don't think you want to know the answer to that question."


	3. Chapter 3

The Doctor had learned a great many things over the last seven months of being stranded on Earth. One of which was the ability to step back and let others do their jobs. He learned early on that he couldn't just take charge and run an investigation the way he wanted. There was protocol in place, and if his associates on the police force didn't follow it to the letter, it could render an entire investigation worthless. Therefore, he was glad to run his side of the investigation his way, but still respected the police force and became well-versed in procedure and protocol and was almost always willing to allow London's finest to take charge.

Also, for some reason, he found it difficult to argue with DI Tyler when she smiled at him like that.

He pondered this while he sat at her desk, the DI standing behind him, walking him through the procedure to look up contact information for Jocelyn's immediate family. He could have found the information easily enough on his own, although he wasn't sure how legal his methods were. He also found he didn't mind the research and busy work so much with Rose's lovely human warmth pressed close to him and the fresh scent of her soap and skin invading his senses. Not that he made a habit of smelling humans or anything. He simply appreciated good hygiene and nice soaps just as much as the next alien with a hypersensitive nose.

Bringing his thoughts back around to the research at hand, he noted that Jocelyn's parents were listed as her emergency contacts. He copied down their names, home and work addresses, and the various phone numbers listed. DI Tyler explained to him that she preferred to deliver this type of news in person, even if it meant a wild goose chase in tracking the family down. She explained that she never felt comfortable calling someone to tell them a loved one was murdered. She liked to be able to bring comfort, to answer any questions face-to-face.

Jack and Mickey had been mildly successful in their tasks. The first ring was in evidence, and they were just waiting for a PC to fetch it for them. Meanwhile, the next ring was still stuck with forensics and they had to wait for the team to return before they could look at it themselves. Therefore they were all hot on the research trail, the Doctor and Rose looking up contact information on both victims and Mickey and Jack looking up information on metal working. They hoped they could contact metal and jewelry suppliers to see who may have purchased the necessary materials to make two nearly identical rings. Of course the Doctor could have easily given them the exact chemical composition with one lick, but Jack had vetoed that method early on. They were trying to keep a low profile, after all.

The Doctor heard Rose sigh deeply and turned to look at her. She sat on the corner of her desk and toyed with the case file in her hand.

"Inspector?" he asked gently. "Everything all right?"

She smiled gratefully. "Yeah, just…'s not exactly my favorite part of the job, y'know? Having to tell parents that their child is dead."

The Doctor's first instinct was to reach across and cover her hand with his. In fact, he had to knowingly restrain himself as his arm twitched forward. He'd only known this detective for a few hours. Certainly he liked her enough, but he had no idea how she'd view an action like that.

"Well," he began, sending her a cheerful grin. He was thrilled when her own smile widened. "Sitting around talking about it isn't going to make it any easier. Come on! Once more unto the breach, DI Tyler!" He stood up and offered his hand, figuring this type of contact could be considered gentlemanly and not ill-intentioned. He was relieved when her smiling brown eyes met his, grasping his hand and allowing him to pull her into a standing position. "Allons-y!"

* * *

><p>"So, you're psychic, eh?" Rose asked once they were in the squad car, casting him a sidelong glance and grinning teasingly.<p>

"I suppose you could call it that," he replied.

"And what would you call it?"

He shrugged. "Where I'm from, it's not really that impressive."

"You're full of it!" Rose laughed. "Can't think of a single person who wouldn't be impressed by what you do. What about your family?"

The Doctor tensed, something he could tell Rose noted. He had barely discussed his family even with Jack, whom he had met fresh out of the war that had destroyed his entire planet. Jack had helped him a great deal over the course of the last two years, and he'd come to care for him almost like a brother…well, maybe a cousin…_well…_maybe that one uncle who only came around at Christmas and Easter and inexplicably referred to you as "Skipper."

"So…" He was grateful that Rose decided to change the subject. "You gonna show me your moves or what?"

"Hmm?" Dammit, she was smiling at him again. This was becoming a problem. "Moves?"

"You know, read my mind? Give me first hand evidence? A good detective never goes on hearsay, Dr. Smith."

"Just the Doctor," he corrected absently, turning to look at her. "You…want me to read your mind?"

"I just said so. You know, for a so-called genius you're pretty thick." And there she went with that smile again. He reached out and turned the heater down.

"All right," he grinned back. "I'll need to touch you. May I take your hand?"

"Such a gentleman," she teased gently, gesturing with her chin toward her left hand, resting on the gearshift. "Go on. Show me what you've got"

"Anything you don't want me to see just imagine a door closing and I won't look, I promise," he told her before taking her hand and closing his eyes, connecting gently with her surface thoughts.

_He has _really _nice hands, _floated across her mind absently. He grinned.

"Well, I exfoliate," he replied to her errant thought, stroking his thumb across her soft skin in an almost unconscious gesture. "Yours aren't so bad either."

Rose yanked her hand away, the engine revving angrily as she missed shifting. She blushed, placing her hand back where it was supposed to be and urged the car forward.

"Note to self," she murmured. "Telepathy and driving is more dangerous than drinking and driving."

The Doctor laughed, genuinely and heartily, and marveled silently at the blushing detective next to him. He hadn't even known her a day and yet, he knew he was going to truly enjoy working with DI Rose Tyler.

* * *

><p>Rose sat across from Marian and Alex Taylor in one of the station's conference rooms and sighed to herself. Things had gone well thus far, as well as it could go with having to deliver horrible news to two obviously loving parents. It never got any easier. She had made tea and comforted Mr. and Mrs. Taylor at their home, answering their questions (and silently scolding the Doctor for sticking his fingers in their jam jar) as best as she could before asking them to come down to the station. The police needed their statement and they also wanted to turn over Jocelyn's personal items as soon as possible. They agreed readily, eager and willing to do anything they could to help find the person who killed their daughter.<p>

Rose informed them that she would be recording their conversation, turning on the small device. "This is Detective Inspector Rose Tyler for the London Metropolitan Police Force, interviewing Mr. Alex Taylor and Mrs. Marian Taylor for any information on the murder of their daughter Jocelyn Taylor. Today is Thursday 12 May, 2011. Present at the interview is Dr. John Smith, consultant with London Investigations and Detective Agency-"

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Inspector," Mr. Taylor said gently. "But what part is Dr. Smith playing in the investigation? What exactly does a consultant do?"

Rose turned and raised an eyebrow at the Doctor, who offered a resigned sigh and a "Go on," gesture. "He's a consulting psychic with the department. He's helped solve a great deal of cases over the last six months."

Mr. Taylor seemed to scoff at the word "psychic," while his wife perked noticeably. "Psychic? Can you contact our daughter, Dr. Smith? Can you speak to her?"

The Doctor looked uncomfortable for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck nervously before speaking. "That's…not exactly how I work, Mrs. Taylor. I'm sorry, I deal mostly with events and the suspects."

"Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, I wanted to thank you once again for coming in to the station," Rose continued the interview gently, trying to detract Mrs. Taylor's attention away from the Doctor. She noticed his grateful expression out of the corner of her eye. "I realize how difficult this must be for you."

"Thank you, DI Tyler," Alex answered, clutching his wife to him. Rose smiled at the couple softly. "We want to help in any way we can."

"When was the last time you spoke with your daughter?"

"Oh, must have been…at the weekend, I think," Mrs. Taylor answered. "She was always so busy during the week, we really only caught up when she had time." Tears welled up in her eyes at this, and Rose immediately grabbed the Kleenex box and handed it over. "Thank you. I just wish now we'd made more of an effort, you know?"

Rose reached over and put her hand over Mrs. Taylor's. "I know how you feel, Mrs. Taylor. Whenever you can, we'll continue. Take your time.

For the next half an hour or so, Rose asked her usual series of questions- did you notice any change in her behavior as of late? Was there anyone you know of who wished harm on your daughter? Did she discuss her work, the case assignment? Did it seem dangerous? Who did she generally see on a regular basis? None of their answers indicated anything out of the ordinary. A typical, bright young girl who seemed to just be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Was Jocelyn dating anyone?" Rose asked.

"No, she hadn't mentioned it anyway," her mother answered. "Always so focused on work. She used to say she'd start dating once she started working a fifty-hour week again." Mrs. Taylor chuckled softly, and Rose smiled.

"Don't I know how that goes," she offered, pulling the photograph of the ring out of the manila folder. "One last thing and then I'll have one of our PC's take you home. Do you recognize this ring?" She handed them the photograph.

"No, I don't," Mrs. Taylor answered. Her husband nodded in agreement. "But then, it had been a little more than a week since I saw her. She could have picked it up during that time. Doesn't really seem like her taste, but you never know, do you?"

"Suppose not," Rose said, taking the photograph and tucking it back into the folder. She turned to the Doctor, who had been quiet for most of the interview except for a few short interjected questions. She gestured towards the couple, silently asking if he had anything else for them, to which he shook his head faintly. "Thank you for your time, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor. We'll be in touch, and please contact us if you think of anything that could be helpful."

* * *

><p>The Doctor returned the conference room, having snuck out as Rose and the Taylors were saying their farewells. He smiled sympathetically as he noticed her leaning heavily against the table, looking completely exhausted despite it only being a few minutes past noon, and offered one of the ceramic mugs in his hand.<p>

"Tea?" he asked. "Superheated infusion of free radicals and tannins. Perfect thing for heating the synapses. Or keeping you from falling asleep on the table as it were."

Rose grinned, some of her pep returning at the sight of the welcome beverage. She took the warm mug from him and sipped, eyes closing involuntarily. "Mmm…I'm convinced. You must be psychic. This is perfect."

"Just what the Doctor ordered?" he asked, wagging his eyebrows playfully at her.

Rose laughed. "That was awful."

He mirrored her stance, leaning against the table and clutching his own mug. "So, what do you think?"

Rose sighed. "I think we got everything we're gonna get from them. No boyfriend, a few close friends we'll have to interview. And her coworkers. Seems like she spent most of her time at the office, it's probably the best place to start. Did you get anything from her parents?"

"I couldn't sense much," he answered. "Beyond that their grief was genuine." He didn't mention that this was because he could sense the unique brain chemicals typical of grieving humans. "I don't think they had anything to do with it if that's what you're asking."

"Neither do I." Rose sighed.

"You did well in there," the Doctor told her. "I could tell it wasn't easy for you. But you held yourself together. I'm impressed."

Rose smiled at him. "Thank you. That means a lot." She sighed yet again. "I know it isn't logical, but I feel partially responsible. Every time an innocent person is killed or hurt, I always feel like there was something more I should have been doing to stop it. I wasn't diligent enough, I should have noticed any odd patterns or activity, you know?"

"That won't do you any good," the Doctor told her gently, again fighting the urge to take her hand. "You can't take that sort of responsibility upon yourself. And believe me, I know it. The best thing we can do is try to figure this whole thing out and catch this guy before anything else can happen, eh?"

Rose smiled at him gratefully. "You know just what to say, don't you? I'll have to remember to come to you whenever I need a pep talk. Next step, I suppose I'll be doing the interviews. Mickey's better here anyway. He's fantastic with the research and tactics, I'm better with the people. Was like that when we were kids, too."

"You and Mickey have known each other that long?"

"Nearly all our lives. We grew up together," Rose answered, taking a long sip of her tea. "Even dated for a while, right at the beginning of university. Didn't take. Obviously." She grinned at him. "We were partners in crime. Dad never knew what to do with us."

The Doctor was suddenly assaulted with a glimpse of Rose's timeline, of an obviously significant event from her childhood. A young Rose and Mickey were sitting at a booth, each begging a uniformed Pete Tyler for chocolate cake. He quizzed them, telling them to close their eyes and asking how many hats were in the room. He beamed proudly when they each told him and described them, telling the waitress to bring a piece of cake with a scoop of ice cream. He smiled softly as the vision gently came to an end, loving the small glimpse of this mysterious detective's life.

"I didn't realize you were the chief's daughter," the Doctor told her, chastising himself for not realizing it earlier. Now that he knew for certain, it was so completely obvious. They shared the same eyes, the same smile, and even their speech patterns and senses of humor were similar.

Rose smiled at him. "Caught that, did ya?"

"Just had a bit of a vision," he said. "You three were sitting in a restaurant and he wouldn't give you chocolate cake until you told him how many hats were in the room. Brilliant man. And brilliant you and Mickey."

Rose laughed out loud. "Blimey, I'd almost forgotten he did that." Her expression softened as she turned back to him. "Not many people around here know. He wasn't the one who recruited me, I got placed here by one of the higher-ups. Still, I don't want people to think I got this job because of who my dad is, you know?"

"Right," he agreed. "Won't say a word, I promise."

Rose smiled gratefully. "I know."

The Doctor watched her as she tilted her head back, eyes closed, moving one hand to rub at her neck. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight of her, relaxed and unguarded, and his fingers were practically itching to tuck an errant strand of blonde hair back behind her ear. Or to replace the hand massaging her neck with his own, rubbing the sore muscles gently until she let out delightful little noises of pleasure.

"Rose! Doctor!"

He was instantly alert, the Doctor snapping out of his odd reverie at the sound of Mickey's voice from the doorway. Blimey, where was his self control these days? Maybe he was tired. It'd been a few days since he slept, he might be due for a nap. Perfect. He'd nap once he got back to the office any he'd be back to his old self in no time.

"What's going on, Micks?" Rose asked, pushing herself off from the table.

"You'll never guess what happened. Jake just got back from the crime scene. They took the ring off the body and it _completely _fell apart. And we got the first one out of evidence and it had done the exact same thing!"

"What?" Rose instantly bolted out of the room. The Doctor followed close on her heels, following her into her dad's office, where Jake was waiting with Jack and Pete. "Can I see the rings, please?"

Jake handed over both evidence baggies, and Rose gaped. Indeed, the rings had broken apart, one consisting of four interlocking bands and the next of five. Before she could say anything, the Doctor had swiped the bags out of her hand and had dumped both rings into his palm.

"They're puzzle rings!" he declared, immediately fiddling with the small objects. "Well, that's clever, isn't it?"

"Puzzle rings?" Chief Tyler questioned, rubbing his hands over his eyes. "Oh, that's what I was afraid of. Rose, could you shut the door, please?"

"What's going on, Chief?" Mickey asked.

He waited until Rose returned to begin talking. "About fifteen years ago, we had to investigate a string of murders. Same type of victims, young professional blondes, on their way home from a late night at work. And the killer left a puzzle ring. Once we've got them assembled we need to check on the inside of the bands. There should be a series of numbers, indicating a code. This code spells out a riddle, giving the police a clue to the killer's identity and a deadline. He was challenging us to catch him before he could kill again. Unfortunately…" He trailed off.

"You never caught him," the Doctor murmured, clicking the final band into place on the first ring. "You're right…numbers. What's the code?"

"It was ridiculously simple. First number, page in the OED. Then a dash, second number was just the number of the word on the page. Easy. The riddles, though…they were vague at best. He may have thought he was clueing us in but there was nothing in there we could work with. The last ring said something about how much we bored him, and he'd get in touch when we brought him a worthy challenger."

Jack whistled low. "So, Mr. Cuckoo-Pants just…what…wants to send us on a wild goose chase?"

"Are we sure this is the same guy?" Jake piped up. "Maybe it's a copy cat? How can we be sure everything is going to be the same?"

"Who else would know all these details? It's not like we make the case files public," Mickey offered. He turned to Rose. "So, what now?"

"Well, we need to get these codes worked out," Rose told him. "Looks like the Doctor's got the assembling covered. Once the riddle's deciphered, then we need to actually figure out what it means. But that's not all we can do in the meantime. I think we should treat this like any other murder investigation and start digging around to try and find out who this guy is."

"Good idea, Rose," Pete told her, offering a softly affectionate smile. "We're gonna need interviews done, the research on the metal suppliers was a good lead. We'll need to get the rings down to the labs for analysis, get the proper composition so we know exactly what to look for. We'll compare it with the old case files, make sure we're working with the same killer. I'll get our new profiler in here. She's brilliant and should be able to come up with something for the end of the day."

"Jake and I can hang around here, keep going with the metal work and the suppliers. We'll dig through those old case files, too, see what we can turn up," Mickey said.

"I've got a pretty strong background in decoding as well as resident psychopaths," Jack told them all with a grin. "I'll start getting those riddles worked out, see if I can figure out what they mean."

"I suppose that leaves the Doctor and I to do the interviews? Does that work? Doctor?" Rose asked gently. He'd been uncharacteristically silent, he knew, even as he'd been paying attention to everything around him. He was staring at the rings as if they represented all of the awful things about humanity. Anger was brewing in the pit of his stomach. "What do you think? Are you getting anything from the rings?"

He ignored the last part of her question. "This man…he's killing innocent girls. He's stalking them and beating them and taking them away from their families for _what? _To satisfy his own sick, twisted ego? So he can pat himself on the back and say 'Well done me, looks like I got away with murder again!' Well, he obviously has no idea who he's dealing with." He looked up at the assembled team, noting Jake and Mickey and even Chief Tyler flinching at the dark look in his eyes. "We are going to end this."


	4. Chapter 4

**I always forget to mention my amazing LJ betas, kelkat9, who_in_whoville, and timelord1** **for their help with this story. Also, many thanks to fannishliss over on LJ for her help with the metalworking aspects of the story, along with inspiring the puzzle ring angle!**

The Doctor was a man on a mission from the moment they left the station until they completed what felt like hundreds of interviews, and Rose couldn't help but admire his stamina. Rose's energy was quickly depleting. They hadn't stopped for lunch, she was absolutely exhausted from her 5 AM call to the crime scene, and she knew they'd be pulling an all-nighter that evening. So it was with very minimal guilt that she pulled up outside of her favorite coffee shop on their way back to the station.

As she put the car in park, the Doctor glanced over at her and smirked. "Coffee break?"

"You don't want to see me without my fix," Rose shot back teasingly, undoing her seat belt and fetching her bag from the backseat. "You coming in?"

"Oh, yes. Can't say no to a cup of tea. Or a banana donut." He continued talking even as they unfolded themselves from the tiny car. "Do you know, this place makes _fantastic _banana crème donuts. Just like the pie, only a _donut! _Isn't that brilliant, Rose?" He seemed to catch his slip and glanced at her apologetically over the top of the tiny squad car. "Sorry, Inspector. People keep telling me I'm rude. I'm sure I could handle it better if I were ginger, but…"

"It's fine, Doctor," Rose assured him as he came around the car to stand next to her. "Really, Rose is…fine. I don't mind."

He smiled softly at her. "Yeah?"

"Yes."

"Brilliant! So, coffee, Rose Tyler?" They had reached the door to the shop, which he casually held open for her.

"Thank you," she replied. "You said you've been here?"

"Only in the mornings." He followed her into the warm, fragrant store. "Never been one for coffee with dinner. Don't really need it to stay up all night."

Before she could reply to him, an elderly woman with a shock of white hair and twinkling blue eyes greeted her cheerfully from behind the counter. "Rose! You look completely knackered, young lady! Have you been sleeping properly?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "You sound like my mum, Eleanor. And I know I'm gonna get yelled at for this, but I could murder a coffee. And an espresso brownie?"

"It is five in the evening!" Eleanor scolded, nevertheless turning back to the grinder, measuring in the beans. "You are going to spoil your supper and be up all night to boot!"

"Yeah, that's the idea," she retorted. "Eleanor, this is Dr. John Smith, one of my colleagues. Dunno if you've met him. He's usually here in the mornings."

"Oh, now, I'm sure I'd remember you, Dr. Smith," Eleanor flirted playfully. The Doctor's smile widened. "What'll it be?"

"Just a black tea for me, please," he replied, inspecting the contents of the pastry case. "Any chance of a banana donut?"

"That's a morning pastry. I've already switched out for the evening ones."

"Aw, go on," the Doctor gently chided, sticking his hands in his pockets and grinning. "Not even one in the back? He could be an evil dictator for all you know. What if he's organizing a revolt as we speak? Dozens of pastries could suffer a horrible fate only because you wouldn't do your part in taking down the empire and let little old me devour the evil donut and give him what he deserves. Now, Eleanor, do you _really _want that on your conscience?"

Rose couldn't help the grin that spread across her face as she watched Eleanor give in to this charming stranger. "I'll just go fetch one from the back, then. Rose, watch the counter for me, would you? And don't tell anyone I'm doing this, you hear?"

The Doctor offered his profuse thanks and Rose turned to him as Eleanor disappeared into the back of the store. He met her playful gaze, and did his best to look completely innocent. "What?"

"Nothing!" she looked away, smile still on her face.

"What?" he asked again, a bit more insistent.

"Did I say anything?"

"You were thinking it."

"How could you tell? You weren't touching me."

"Don't need to."

"Since when?"

"Ohhh…five seconds ago?"

"Right," Rose turned to pay for their drinks and snacks and handed him his paper cup and wrapped treat. "Do you mind if we sit for a bit? I could use a few minutes to recharge."

"Lead the way," he gestured to one of the tables. "Blimey, sometimes I forget how much upkeep you humans need."

Rose laughed as she sat down at one of the cozy round tables. "And what are you, a crocodile?"

"Oh, no," he answered, panic bubbling in his chest that couldn't quite catch up with his voice. "Time Lord, actually. Gallifreyan, to be more precise."

He froze as the words escaped his mouth. Did he really just admit he was an alien? Not that he necessarily denied it when people asked…but wait…no one had _asked. _They assumed he was human. Which was fine with him. Really…really fine.

The Doctor realized, with sudden clarity, that the last thing in the world he wanted to do was lie to Rose Tyler.

"Rather pompous-sounding, Time Lord. Is that some secret society?" Rose asked, still not fully grasping what he was saying. "Also, I aced my Geography GCSE, but I've never heard of…what, Gallifrey? Is that somewhere in Ireland? Tiny village or something?"

He took a deep breath, hearts galloping in his chest. "Gallifrey is…well, _was_ a planet, thousands of light-years away. In the constellation of Kasterborus. The race of people who lived there were called the Time Lords. That's what I am, a Time Lord."

Rose looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Are you having me on? Or are you just a nutter?"

"Neither," he replied, grasping her hands and placed them on either side of his chest. He watched her eyes widen as she felt the twin beats of his hearts. "Two hearts. Binary vascular system. I'm not…human."

Rose pulled her hands away slowly, her face screwed up in thought. "You're…not human."

"No, I'm not."

"You're…alien."

"Yes." When she didn't respond for a few moments, he pushed ahead. "That all right?"

"Yeah," she replied almost instinctively, eyes raising to meet his. Relief washed through him when she smiled. "Yeah, 's all right. I mean, it explains a lot." She took a sip of her coffee before she continued. "What do you mean, it _was _a planet?"

He had no idea why her acceptance of him was so important, or even what possessed him to come clean to her so soon. He felt almost giddy with relief now that he had, and he barely felt the near-constant ache he'd carried with him since the Time War ended so long ago. He took a breath, blew it out nosily, and was about to start into the whole, sordid story when Rose's mobile began loudly blasting "I'm Too Sexy" from her bag.

She rolled her eyes as she answered. "Mickey, I'm never letting you near my phone again…we just finished up, I had to stop off for coffee…all right, we'll be there in fifteen…yes, we'll bring you some…see you in a bit."

Rose clicked off the mobile and turned to the Doctor, looking apologetic. "Mickey needs us back at the station. They got the analysis back on the rings and they found some DNA on Jocelyn, just like you said. And there's apparently a team-wide caffeine emergency." She moved over to the counter and told Eleanor she needed four coffees to go. Eleanor nodded and began preparing one of the larger presses for the order.

"It'll be a few minutes," Rose informed him when she sat back down. "So, what do you think? I didn't get any indication from the interviews that anyone would want to harm Jocelyn. What about her case? Is it even worth looking in to? Why are you staring at me like that?" Upon noticing the Doctor's gob smacked expression, she frantically began swiping at her face and licking along her teeth. "Do I have chocolate on my face? What is it?"

"I just told you that I'm an alien," he began slowly. "From a planet that doesn't exist anymore. I'm the last of an ancient race of telepathic beings that can also read the past and potential futures of nearly everyone on the planet. And you want to talk about _work?"_

"Well, considering we've got a potential serial killer on our hands, I figured that was more important," Rose shot back, the retort softened by her small smile. "You're staring again."

He knew he was staring. He couldn't help it. "I just…"

He was at a loss for words. Five billion languages and _the Doctor _was at a loss for _words. _

Detective Inspector Rose Tyler had rendered him speechless.

"I know, I'm just extraordinary," Rose teased, smiling at him with that lovely pink tongue caught between her teeth. The Doctor was struck by a sudden, vivid image of nibbling on said tongue, of kissing the smirk right off her face.

Wait…what?

Eleanor chose that moment to call her over to the counter, and he watched her organize the four cups onto tray and piling it carefully on top of a box of pastries that Eleanor had insisted they take. She shouldered her bag and turned towards him. He couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Don't offer to help or anything," Rose huffed. "Can you at least get the door?"

"What?" he shook himself out of his reverie. "Oh…right. The door." He moved ahead of her and, indeed, held it open for her. "After you."

"Thanks." Rose shouldered past him and headed towards the car, turning back when he didn't immediately follow. "You goin' my way? Or do you have your own transport, Alien Boy?"

He instinctively returned her playful smile and trotted after her, all the while contemplating the probability that he was, in fact, completely and utterly doomed.

* * *

><p>"All right, boys, your saviors have returned," Rose announced dramatically, placing the tray of coffee and pastry box down on the table and plucking her own cup from the bunch. "Up for grabs, cream and sugar are not part of the service. Now, what did we miss?"<p>

"I think the better question is what _didn't _you miss?" Jake asked sardonically. "We have forensics from Jocelyn's flat, a coroner's report, lab results, DNA samples…really, Tyler, the list goes on. We're also arguing over pizza toppings. I'm glad you got here. It was getting heated."

"Jack, could I have a word?" the Doctor asked, hands stuffed in his pockets and gesturing towards the door with his chin. "In private?"

"Yeah, Doc," Jack answered, rising and letting the Doctor lead them into an unused interrogation room. "What's up?"

The Doctor whipped his sonic screwdriver out of his jacket pocket, locking the door and temporarily disabling any recording equipment that might have been running in the room. Once his tasks were complete, he turned to Jack, his hands already tangled in his hair. "I may have done something completely stupid today. Or completely brilliant, depending on who you ask. Me, I'm on the fence…"

"Okay," Jack said, leading them over to the tiny table. "Let's sit down, breathe a little. What happened?"

"Well, Rose and I were getting coffee-"

"Hold on," Jack interrupted. "'Rose'? Since when do you call her 'Rose'? Before you left, it was Inspector Tyler this and Inspector Tyler that. You didn't call her 'Rose' in front of the Chief, did you? Oh, you are in so much trouble…"

"Hold on! She told me I could call her 'Rose'!" he protested. "And I like the way it feels. Rose Tyler…sort of rolls of the tongue, yeah? Anyway, that's not what I did that was stupid. Or brilliant. Right now I'm leaning towards stupid…"

Jack sat down in one of the chairs, glad he'd brought his cup of coffee. This could take a while. "Out with it."

"I told her."

"You told her…" he trailed off, gesturing vaguely. "…what? That I'm available? That Pluto's been demoted to a dwarf planet? Pi to the twenty-seventh digit? What?"

"I told her that I'm an alien! That I'm a Time Lord from the long-lost planet Gallifrey in the constellation Kasterborus! I told her I'm telepathic and can read timelines and…" His hands were back in his hair and he'd begun pacing. Jack wasn't sure if it would be more fun to wind him up further or calm him down. Perhaps a little of Column A and a little of Column B…

"And she took off running?"

"No…"

"Screaming?"

"No!"

"So…did she offer to strip down and take you on the table?"

"Jack! Focus please! I've known this woman less than twelve hours and already she knows more about me than people I've known for six months. And do you want to know the worst part?"

"I have a feeling you're going to tell me…"

"She was brilliant, Jack! Handled it so well, was so calm. I let her feel my hearts, and she just…said it was all right and went right back to talking about the case! Said catching a serial killer was more important! What do I even _say _to that, Jack? And then she _smiled _at me, that ridiculously adorable smile that makes me go all warm and think things distinctly _not _Time Lord-y and…Jack Harkness! Why are you _laughing _at me?"

Jack wiped tears out of his eyes as he attempted to regain control of his laughter. "Oh, sorry, Doc…just never thought this day would come! And so soon! My little Time Lord is all grown up!"

The Doctor stopped in his tracks, glaring at his friend and partner. "What in the name of Rassilon are you _talking _about? Blimey, can't you be straightforward for once in your life?"

"You've got a _crush, _Doctor! On a _girl_ no less!"

"What?" the Doctor sputtered, rubbing the back of his neck in discomfort. "I do not have a _crush! _That's just…ridiculous. Jack Harkness, you are _ridiculous."_

"Do you want me to pass her a note? Find out if she likes you back? 'Dear Rose, do you like the Doctor? Y/N circle one. Love, Jack.'"

"You are not taking me seriously."

"On the contrary. This is a very serious matter. Now, here's what you do…ask her to the Sock Hop. While you're there, you can tell her you'd like to go steady and she can wear your letterman sweater and you can hold hands up at Lover's Lane. You writing this down?"

"You are of absolutely no use to me," the Doctor huffed. He used his sonic screwdriver to unlock the door and headed back to the conference room. "Why do I even keep you around?"

Jack immediately began following him, still chuckling. "You gonna kiss her behind the bleachers?"

"Stop it."

"Write her a poem? Girls love poetry."

"Did I stutter?"

Jack was in hysterics now, barely able to talk as he caught his breath. "Are…are you…are you gonna hold her hand at the fire safety assembly? Do you wanna sit with her at lunch?"

"I really don't have time for this…"

"The Doctor and Rose!" Jack began singing teasingly. "Sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"All right!" the Doctor spun around on his heel, nearly causing the still-laughing Jack to crash into him. "We've got a murder investigation to attend to! I am certainly not thinking of…dating and dancing or any other of your silly human mating rituals! Right now we need to focus on catching the bad guy. And how are we supposed to do that when you're sitting there…_blogging?"_

Jack had the decency to at least pretend to look abashed, though his blue eyes were still twinkling with mirth. "You're right, Doctor. Let's get this guy in a padded cell where he belongs. Then? Well, if you aren't gonna go after her maybe I could…"

The Doctor's entire countenance stiffened, his shoulders going tense and his eyes immediately darkening. If Jack didn't know him so well, he'd probably be terrified. "Don't you even think about it, Jack Harkness."

He held up his hands in surrender. "Just a thought! Come on, let's get back to the room before we get stuck with pineapple on the pizza."

"Oh, God, that'd be awful, wouldn't it?" the Doctor shuddered, immediately relaxing back into his usual demeanor. "Remember that? On Thalaxon Prime? Although, it wasn't _exactly _pineapple. More tart. Spedlik, it was called. And it wasn't really pizza, more like a burger with sauce and cheese except they were most definitely _not _cows and they didn't use tomatoes at all…"

Jack entered the conference room ahead of the Doctor and turned back when he broke off mid ramble.

Rose was smiling broadly at him, tongue caught between her teeth and Jack realized that he didn't blame the Doctor in the slightest for having a crush.

"I vetoed the pineapple," she told him.

"Ohhh, Rose Tyler," the Doctor breathed, his features spreading into a blinding grin. "You are _brilliant._"

Jack picked up a file folder and attempted to hide his smile behind the cardstock. Yep…the Doctor was a _complete _goner. And, of course, with his role as the better half of this bromance, it was Jack's job to do everything in his power to never let him forget it.


	5. Chapter 5

While they were waiting for dinner to be delivered, Rose and Mickey began conducting their impromptu meeting. Mickey shared what they had accomplished that day, including Jack's translations of the code inscribed on both rings, the DNA they'd found under Jocelyn's fingernails, and the metal analysis from the lab.

"We already ran the DNA," he told her. "No matches in the system, but that just means there were no prior arrests that required DNA samples. Odd, considering that we're dealing with a psychopath. If we have a suspect in custody we'll at least be able to run a match. The metals in the rings were identical, and we'll be able to get in touch with some suppliers to get a list of clients who placed that particular order. And Jack cracked the code inside the rings for the riddles. I gotta say, they're kinda creepy and don't really give us any information. You?"

"Well, we've got statements from Jocelyn's friends and co-workers," Rose shared. "I dunno, boys. This is starting to sound suspiciously like a murder investigation."

The three men around the table whooped enthusiastically and Rose laughed. Of course, Chief Tyler chose that moment to peek into the room, his stern expression turning to delight when his eyes set upon the coffee and treats. "I was going to tell you lot to conduct yourself a bit more like officers of the law, but if I can have some of that you can throw a kegger for all I care."

Rose giggled. "Last coffee's all yours, Chief. I think Eleanor sent a lemon pound cake for you, too."

"Angel, she is." Pete grabbed the coffee and pastry before sitting down with the group. "So, what's the status?"

"Looks like it was a good, productive day that we're going to turn into a good, productive night," Mickey answered, the rest of the group groaning. "Oh, shut it. Not like you weren't expecting it. Round table, let's put it all out there. Rose? Doctor? What'd you get for us?"

"The interviews were a bust, in my opinion," Rose answered. "You didn't get anything from the friends or coworkers, did you, Doctor?"

"Nah," he answered, taking a sip of his tea. "I don't need to be a telepath to know they didn't have anything to do with it. No one was lying or nervous, everyone was truly distraught. We can rule out any of them as suspects."

"Jocelyn was working on a pretty high-profile divorce," Rose told them, pulling a file out of her bag and passing it to Jake. "She was representing a big CEO's wife. They were trying to find proof of adultery. If she were successful, the prenuptial agreement would be void and the wife would be entitled to equitable division of the assets. Or a boatload of money."

"Do you think he's worth looking in to?" Pete asked.

"Maybe, just to be thorough," Rose said. "But honestly, I don't think there's a lot there. Especially with all the evidence that's linking Lara's and Jocelyn's murders together. Still, you might want to send a PC down to ask a few questions."

"I agree," Mickey seconded. "We don't want to waste more manpower than we have to. Jack had some success with the coding. Jack?"

"Yeah," he began, taking a deep breath. "These seem to be the same format as last time. Little rhymes, same number of lines as rings in the puzzle, followed by a deadline. First deadline coincided with the date of Jocelyn's murder. 'The foe has emerged with cunning and wit/to challenge the mystic who has emerged from the mist/To find me you must pull the sword from the stone/Find your weapon or the princess will atone/30 Days.' It's pretty obvious what he's going for here. The second one was five lines, since the puzzle was more complex. 'There once was a wizard in London/Whose genius could never be undone/When a princess he saw/He outsmarted the law/And bashed in her head with a truncheon/14 Days.'"

A visible shudder ran through the group. "We're dealing with a sicko here," Jake murmured.

"Yeah," Mickey agreed, shaking his head slightly before turning back to Rose and the Doctor. "So we have two weeks to find this guy before he strikes again?"

"Same as last time," Pete mused. "Thirty days, two weeks. If we can't find him, next one will give us one week. This is either the same guy, maybe his apprentice, or a _very _thorough copycat."

"And these clues are just as vague and unhelpful as the last set, too," Jake told them, tossing a bunch of case files on the table. "He claimed that everything you needed to find him is in the rings."

"Yeah, well, he's also a dangerous serial killer," the Doctor piped up, a hard edge to his voice. "Forgive me if I don't believe everything he tells us."

Rose, seemingly without thought, laid a hand over his under the table and squeezed it comfortingly before speaking again. "What about forensics? Have they finished with Jocelyn's apartment yet?"

"Colin said they're on their way. I trust this won't affect your work, Rose?" Mickey asked her with a teasing grin.

"Shut up," she murmured, rolling her eyes. "He asked me out once…"

"More like five times," he replied. "The last time he asked you to marry him."

"He didn't!" Jack interjected. "Colin from forensics? The gorgeous ginger kid with the green eyes? And you didn't say yes?"

"He's _ginger?_" the Doctor said, sounding envious.

"He did _not _ask me to marry him! You, Mickey Smith, need to get your stories straight," Rose said.

"I dunno, Rose," Jake teased back. "He said he'd like to see you long-term…"

"Oh, look at the time, better go see if the pizza's made it here yet," Rose excused herself from the table.

The Doctor leaned across her empty seat to whisper to Jack. "What gorgeous ginger bloke is asking out Rose?"

Jack grinned at him knowingly. "Does it matter?"

The Doctor looked flustered before moving back to his chair. "Nope, absolutely not. Doesn't matter at all, Captain Jack. Now, murder. Terrible stuff. We really ought to catch this guy."

"Yes, well, that would be ideal, wouldn't it?" Pete spoke up before rising from his chair. "I'm going back to my office to call the profiler, see if she made any progress. Save me a slice, would you? I'll be back in a bit."

Rose returned a few minutes later carrying two square boxes and a bag of drinks. They all dug in, eating and planning over the next half an hour or so. Jake would spend as much time as he could trying to find a link between the victims, something they had in common that might lead them to the killer. Rose and Mickey would be pouring over the old and new case files, trying to find something in the clues to determine his identity. Rose volunteered to stay overnight so Mickey and Jake could go home and sleep, and the three were trying to agree on a rotating night-shift schedule when someone knocked pleasantly on the doorframe.

Everyone glanced up to see Janice, the staff profiler, grinning broadly at them. Rose recalled being introduced to her, but she was fairly certain she'd remember the shock of pink hair on Janice's head. She must have colored it in the past few days. Rose grinned and mused silently on how much it suited the funny, creative woman.

"All right!" Janice began in her lilting Irish brogue. "Let's get this party started!" She took Pete's empty seat at the head of the table.

Jack immediately started in on the voluptuous, bright-haired woman, reaching across. "Captain Jack Harkness. I have to say, I thought I knew every beautiful woman on the force…"

"Cut the crap, Harkness," Janice replied, her smile belying the stern tone of her voice. "You saw me not two days ago. And you used the same line when we first met. Mr. Jury will not be pleased when he hears you've been flirting again."

"Mr. Jury told me down at last Thursday's Pub Quiz that I could flirt all I like!"

"Oh, he did not!" Janice blushed. "Are we ready to work here? I've got a tall drink of water waiting for me at home and let me tell you, he is not a patient man!" Janice winked saucily at Rose, who laughed out loud before encouraging her to begin the meeting.

"Okay, so, I hear you've got a serial killer on your hands?"

"That we do," Pete told them all from the doorway. Rose smiled at her dad. Apparently it was difficult for Janice's presence to go unnoticed. "I trust you all remember Janice Jury, our staff profiler? No need for introductions, I should think. Care to tell us what you've come up with, Mrs. Jury?"

"Well," she began, launching into full lecture-mode easily, passing around copies of her profile to everyone in the room. "In my often not-so-humble opinion, our killer is male. I'd place him in his late forties or early fifties, based on the age of the last case. He is obviously highly intelligent and knows it, often citing said intelligence in the clues he leaves. However, in my opinion, he is masking some sort of insecurities and craves the validation that comes with ever successful kill in that he was able to outsmart the law enforcement officials. He also references fairy tales or aspects of them, which suggests that he seems to have some sort of fantasy aspect to his life as well. I wouldn't rule out that he has maturity issues based on some sort of unsatisfactory home life as a child. To sum up, he is bat-shite crazy but can't react like a normal person and go to therapy three times a week. He needs to kill people in order to gain the validation that he craves and the control that he didn't have in his household growing up. I would call him a high-functioning sociopath, probably with an intellectual career and weekends at the local Renaissance fair or a D&D Tourney. Speaking of, Ken has one this weekend. I'll have him ask around. So, anyway…questions? Comments? Concerns? Criticisms? Jokes? Pleas for mercy? Incoherent babbling? Unabashed groveling? Anything else for the good of the cause?"

"Just…hold on a minute…" the Doctor attempted to cut in.

"Nada? Okay then, enjoy your evening!"

"Wait!" Jack shouted. "Just one thing…"

"Boys, were you not paying attention? Tall drink of water at home? He's making me zucchini boats. Text me if you have any questions. Chief…always a pleasure."

Janice shouldered her bag, offered Pete a saucy salute and breezed out of the room, leaving a slightly shell-shocked group behind her.

"Okay…" Rose started. "Well…at least we've got something to go on, yeah? Next suspect in we can see if he matches up with the profile. Now…" Rose sighed as she surveyed the mess of pizza crusts, napkins, and paper plates spread out over the table. "I'm not your mum, boys. Clean up after yourselves and we'll get to work!"

* * *

><p>Rose finally managed to pull herself away from the case files around two in the morning, taking off her reading glasses and rubbing furiously at her tired eyes. She'd practically forced Mickey and Jake to go home and sleep around eleven that evening, after they'd made some progress with their research, and the Doctor and Jack had left soon after. Meanwhile, she was scouring the old case files and researching the victims, looking for any possible connections that they all might have had. It was tedious and time-consuming, but there wasn't much else that she could do. She'd decided to sift through as much information as she could before Mickey and Jake arrived back that morning.<p>

Deciding that she'd been sitting still for far too long, Rose pushed away from her desk and headed towards the break room for coffee. She acknowledged silently that "coffee" might have been too generous of a word…"scrapings from the bottom of a tar pit," was more accurate. Still, it was hot and caffeinated, and if she added the right amount of powdered creamer and sugar, it almost could pass for coffee's demented third cousin…or something.

Rose methodically measured the proper amount of coffee into the filter, filled the machine with water, and pressed the button. She stared at the pot as it filled, reminded of her coffee trip with the Doctor and how it had ended with him telling her he was an alien. Simple as you please, he had just blurted it out. And then she felt his _hearts! _He'd taken her hands in his slightly-cooler ones, and she'd felt the two distinct beats. It was incredibly odd.

Then again, she supposed it made sense. She'd never worked with a psychic before, but the Doctor was eerily accurate. He got actual detailed glimpses of a person's past, could read a person's thoughts, and even got visions of potential futures. It was intriguing and strange and scary and still…there was _something _about him.

"Science fact: staring at the pot will not make it brew any faster."

Rose spun around, heart racing. The Doctor was standing in front of her, hands stuffed into the pockets of his pinstriped trousers, looking pleased as punch to see her despite the fact she'd nearly had a heart attack.

"You scared me half to death," she told him, turning back to see the machine had just finished the brewing cycle. "Didn't anyone ever tell you what a bad idea it is to sneak up on a copper?"

"Hmmm…don't think so. I think I'd remember something like that." He'd come up beside her and was grinning like a fool, and Rose couldn't help but smile back. "You'll be needing your fix, I suppose."

"Oh, God, you've no idea. What are you even doing here? I thought you and Jack left with Mickey and Jake."

"Well, we did, yeah…but I don't sleep much and I couldn't really settle in so I decided to…well…just wanted to see if…" He couldn't quite look at Rose as he tugged a bit nervously on his ear.

"You…just wanted to see if…?" Rose prompted as she poured a mug of the insult to coffee everywhere.

"Well…if you wanted some company. Or, you know…needed any help with anything. I can be useful! Well, when I say useful I mean I'm competent…_well…_when I say competent…"

Rose laughed. "God, you're completely impossible. Come on, let's sit for a bit, yeah? We can talk, you can keep me awake?"

"I make no promises. You're practically dead on your feet."

"Thanks," Rose replied sarcastically, sitting down on one of the sofas and gesturing to the empty space next to her. "Come on, I've got questions for you, you freaky psychic alien. We may as well be comfortable."

The Doctor grinned and flopped down next to her, helping himself and taking a sip from the mug in her hand. Immediately, he began coughing and gagging. "Oh, my GOD, what is _wrong _with you? This is…_putrid_! You _drink _this sludge?"

"It does the job. And I'm too busy thinking about how disgusting it is that I forget about being tired. Stop trying to change the subject. You're an alien. You can't just drop a ball like that and not elaborate."

"You took it rather well," the Doctor replied. "I didn't think it needed elaboration. And we've been working. You said yourself that catching a serial killer is more important."

"Yes, well, now I'm on a coffee break and I have you alone. I'm going to use this to my advantage," Rose teased. "Come on, tell me. Why are you on Earth? How did you even get here? What about Jack, is he an alien, too?"

"Jack is 100% human. Though he's not from around here."

"I could tell by the accent. So where's he from? America, yeah?"

"Well, yes…but not the America that you know. He's from the 51st Century."

Rose blinked at him. "What do you mean, the 51st Century? That in Kentucky or something?"

The Doctor laughed. "No, I mean the 51st Century. Between the year 5000 and 5099. I met him during the London Blitz, though. We stopped the human race from turning into gas-masked zombies. That was a good day."

Rose rubbed her eyes. "You know what? I changed my mind. This conversation should wait until after I've slept for at least seven hours."

"Aw, now where's the fun in that?" the Doctor nudged her shoulder playfully. "Here, I'll give you the simplified version. There's something wrong with my ship, and she landed here in 21st Century London. We decided to make a go of it as psychic detectives. Jack and I wanted to do a bit of good, you know."

Rose smiled sleepily at him. "You're one of the good ones, aren't you? Saving the world, one criminal at a time. You even get little Akitas returned to their mommas."

The Doctor groaned. "You heard about that?"

"I know people," she replied. "You know, this should freak me out. Aliens and things. But it's not."

"Nah, not Detective Inspector Rose Tyler. You're quite brilliant, you know that?"

"Oh, I've been told once or twice," she teased, draining the last of her "coffee", patting the Doctor's knee, and rising from the sofa. "Come on, I'm putting you to work. The only thing keeping me going right now is the fact that in four hours, I can go home and sleep."

"That and four hours in my pleasurable company."

Rose turned back to take in his lanky form, reclined on the couch, tie knotted loosely around his neck and the top button opened at his collar. His hair was standing up in all directions and the sleeves of his Oxford were rolled up to his elbows. He looked, for lack of a better word, _scrumptious_.

So much for trying to ignore her attraction to him. She questioned whether it was worth it to try harder.

"Hmm…certainly that couldn't hurt."


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you all so much for the reviews so far! They really keep me going! Also, timelord1 helped far more than she will ever admit, so I have to give her a shout-out :-D Please note there's a bit of suggestive dialogue in this chapter!**

"Morning, Chief!" Mickey called out, holding the station door open. "You're here early."

"Oh, you've no idea. Jackie went on an hour-long tirade when she found out I'd let Rose stay overnight to work by herself. She insisted I get here before the sun comes up if I ever wanted off the couch and back in bed," Pete told him. "She seems to forget that Rose is a grown woman who's been doing this for a long time."

"Yeah, Rose can handle a graveyard shift with the best of them," Mickey agreed. "How's Tony?"

"Both a dream and a nightmare all mixed into one," Pete sighed, exchanging short greetings with the various staff as the walked through the station. "I don't remember Rose being this difficult when she was his age. Or you, for that matter."

"That's because she's a Daddy's girl and my gran put the fear of God in me," Mickey grinned. "And Tony has far too much Jackie in him for his own good."

"You don't know the half of it," Pete replied, stopping at Rose's desk. It was strewn with paperwork, her computer was on, but Rose was nowhere to be found. "Speaking of Daddy's girl, where has she gotten to?"

"She might be getting a coffee," Mickey told him. "Break room?"

Pete was about to answer when a jovial, "Chief Tyler! Mickey Mouse!" boomed across the nearly empty station. Jack was walking towards them, far too chipper for six in the morning. "Fine weather we're having! You haven't seen my partner, have you? Rather odd duck, 'bout yay-high? Mad hair, answers to the name of 'The Doctor'?"

"We were just going to look for Rose, maybe they already found each other?" Pete said as he led them towards the break room.

"I got a text from him at two this morning. He said he was coming in to help her. I certainly hope they found each other."

Mickey stopped in his tracks, causing Jack to slam into his back with a loud grunt. "You mean the Doctor and Rose were here…_together_…in the middle of the night? Practically _alone_?"

Pete turned around, a small smirk on his face. "Oh, come on, let's see what sort of trouble my daughter and your mad partner have gotten up to."

They continued towards the break room, chatting amiably but stopping dead as soon as they crossed the threshold. Two pairs of feet were sticking out from under the table that housed the coffee machine. The one with the pink-painted toenails was obviously feminine and barefoot, the cuffs of sensible black trousers just visible. The pair resting ridiculously close to those wore brown pinstripes and white trainers, which were dancing merrily as a familiar voice floated towards them.

"See, Rose, the trick is to get it really moist at first and ease it in, real gently. Just like that, well done!"

"I had no idea it'd be so easy to just slide it in there or I'd have done it years back!" Rose replied before squealing. "Oh, God, Doctor! You got me all damp! I can't go 'round the station like this!"

"Sorry about that! Blimey, you are all wet, aren't you? That was my fault…"

Pete, Mickey, and Jack shared an amused glance before Pete looked back towards the pair and cleared his throat loudly. Instantly, they both yelped, sitting up quickly and knocking their heads on the table, each muttering low profanities as they peeked out sheepishly from under the table.

"Whatcha doin' down there, you two?" Jack asked them playfully.

"Oh, erm…" Rose began, running a hand through her damp and disheveled hair. "The Doctor was showing me how to put a water filter in the coffee maker. He said it'll make it taste better. Didn't you, Doctor?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes. The four fundamentals! Water, freshness, proportion, and grind. Howard Schultz himself showed me how it's done. Perfect Italian coffee-shop flavor right at home, gotta love it!" The Doctor trailed off, looking thoughtful for a moment before pulling a face. "Jack, remind me never to say that ever again, would you?"

"Noted," he replied. "So that's what you two did all night? Fixed the coffee maker?"

"What, you think we sat around twiddling our thumbs all night?" Rose asked, sliding out from under the table and pulling on her black flats.

"Nah…well, I didn't think it was your _thumbs _that were being twiddled…"

"Wow…you really went there, didn't you?" she asked.

"Did you ever expect anything otherwise?"

Rose shook her head. "It is far too early in the morning for this. Dad, Mickey, I'm off. My notes are on the desk, the Doctor can fill you in on our research. See you later, Jack." She turned towards the Doctor and grinned broadly at the sight of him unfolding his tall, lanky body from under the table.

"Thanks for coming to the station last night," she said, moving closer to him, standing up on her tiptoes and placing a light kiss on his cheek. "You've got a talent for keeping girls awake. Really. You oughta quit your day job."

The Doctor beamed down at her, eyes twinkling, the happy noise he made in his throat causing Rose's smile to widen. "Well, the day job _does _have its perks, after all."

* * *

><p>Rose wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed the moment she opened the door to her flat, but she couldn't even make it that far. She had the presence of mind to set an alarm on her mobile before falling onto the sofa and drifting off to sleep.<p>

After what couldn't have been more than an hour, Rose awoke with a jolt to the sound of her door opening and her mother's voice carrying in from the hall. "Rose, darling! Where are you? Oh, I could kill your father for letting you stay at that station all night! Come on, I've got breakfast!"

"Mum!" Rose groaned, burying her face in a throw pillow. "'m _sleeping…_"

"Well, wake up then! These eggs won't keep. Come on, just a few bites and it's back to bed for you. Why are you on the couch anyway? Didn't we spend days picking out that lovely bedroom set for you? Why bother if you aren't even going to use it? Oh, look at you! You're still in your clothes for God's sake!"

Rose cracked open one eye to see her mother's disapproving face looming over the back of the sofa. "'S fine, Mum. I get all morning to sleep…if people stop barging into my flat uninvited."

"You gave me a key, sweetheart," Jackie reminded her, urging Rose to sit up and placing a covered plate on her lap and a paper cup on the table. "Come on, just a little bit and then you're going to bed."

She moved into the kitchen and returned a few moments later with cutlery. She sat down next to Rose on the couch and watched her carefully as Rose began to eat.

She groaned at the first bite of her mother's scrambled eggs and cheese. "God, Mum, I could kill you for waking me up, but thanks. Didn't realize how hungry I was." She took a sip of the herbal tea from the table. "How's Tony?"

"Fine, just dropped him at school. They're doing an astronomy unit right now. You should see him, couldn't be more excited. We've already been to every craft store in the city, looking for materials for a solar system model."

Rose smiled, thinking how her little brother would love to meet the Doctor and hear all about stars and solar systems.

"Oh, and what's got you smiling like that, missy?"

Rose glanced at her mother, who was watching her carefully. "Nothing. Just have a coworker who's kind of into astronomy. Tony could talk to him."

Jackie raised an eyebrow, but before she could question her daughter further Rose let out a long yawn and Jackie tutted sympathetically. "Look at you. Your first case and you're already exhausted. I'll have a talk with your father. Having you work alone all night long, I could smack him for it."

"I offered so Mickey and Jake could go home. Someone in charge of the case has to be on hand in case of any developments. And I wasn't alone much. The Doctor was with me."

"Who?" Jackie perked up.

Rose groaned internally. She could kick herself. "Oh, you know, Dr. Smith? Has Dad mentioned him? He's the psychic detective they bring in on occasion."

"I've heard about him. And he stayed with you all night?"

"No, he came in around two and I left when Mickey got there at six. I don't know if he stayed after that."

"You sent him home and he came back to help you?"

"Yeah," Rose answered, putting her now-empty breakfast plate on the table and picking up her tea once more. "Why're you so interested?"

"Rose, that man is in love with you!"

Rose rolled her eyes. "You think everyone is in love with me. You thought Jake was in love with me."

"Still think so."

"He's gay, Mum!"

"Doesn't mean he can't be in love with you," Jackie replied snappishly. "Rose, what sort of man leaves a job for the night just to come back in the middle of the night to help a co-worker?"

"Someone very dedicated to his job. He's got insomnia issues as well, figured he could be doing something useful. Doesn't mean he's in love with me."

"Well, you're obviously in love with him! You've been blushing the whole time we've talked about him. Is he the 'co-worker' who is interested in astronomy?"

"Blimey, Mum, you're wasted as a hairdresser. And no, I'm not in love with him, I just met him yesterday!"

"But you like him."

"Sure. He's funny and friendly and brilliant, what's not to like? Doesn't mean we're gonna elope tomorrow or anything."

Jackie smiled, giving her an appraising look. "No, maybe not tomorrow…"

Rose groaned. "God, it's like you and Mickey are trying to marry me off or something. You know better than anyone that disaster with Jimmy Stone. I don't need to jump into anything right now."

"'Course not, sweetheart. All I'm saying is that sometimes the right man comes along whether you want him to or not. Now, I want you to get out of that suit and get on those lovely silk pajamas we bought the other day. I'll take your things to the cleaner's and you get to bed. I'll tell your father not to expect you in until the afternoon, do you understand, young lady?"

Rose sighed. Here she was, nearing thirty, and her mother was still taking care of her. Certainly she was more than capable of taking care of herself, but she was always secretly grateful that her mum would probably always see her as her little girl, no matter how old she was.

"Thanks, Mum." Rose leaned over and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek. "Breakfast was fantastic. I'll try to come 'round this weekend, yeah?"

"Of course, darling! Tony'd be thrilled. We've had you just a few tube stops away for two weeks and we've barely seen you!"

"Well, you know…cop hours." Rose stood up and stretched. "D'you mind locking up on your way out?"

"'Course I will," Jackie answered, also rising from the couch and pulling Rose into a hug. "Listen, love, whatever new bloke comes 'round isn't responsible for the things the last bloke did. It's not fair to blame the new ones for the old ones being rubbish. Just something to remember. Every day can be a new start. Says so on the telly."

Rose chuckled and hugged her mother a bit tighter before stepping back. "Did I mention how glad I am to be home?"

* * *

><p>Jack and the Doctor had spent the day in the squad car with Mickey, hitting the first page of metal suppliers within a reasonable driving distance. They had lists of customers who'd ordered the particular metal components within the last six months, and Jake had been on the phone arranging for the long-distance suppliers to fax or email their own lists as soon as they could get them compiled.<p>

After an informal lunch at the local pub, during which the Doctor noticed Rose's name pop up approximately thirty-seven times, they returned to the station to check with Jake and start setting up interviews. However, no sooner had they walked in the door that Chief Tyler decided to poke his head out of his office.

"Ah, good, you're back. May I have a word, Doctor?"

The Doctor started a moment, confused. "'Course, yeah." He and Jack started towards the door, but Pete stopped Jack with a hand on his shoulder.

"Could you give us a moment alone, Captain?"

Jack and the Doctor exchanged questioning looks before Jack nodded, telling them that he'd be with Mickey and Jake when they were finished. The Doctor gestured to him frantically as he walked away, indicating a "What are you doing? Get in here!" message. Jack shrugged, as if to say, "What do you expect me to do? He said no!"

The Doctor shook his head, part of him musing that he and Jack really spent far too much time together, before setting his shoulders and heading in to face the firing squad.

"Close the door, would you?" Pete asked, gesturing to the chair opposite him. "And have a seat when you're done."

The Doctor did as he was told, desperately trying to channel the man the Daleks called The Oncoming Storm. He had brought down governments with a single word, he'd overthrown dictators and saved the human race dozens of times over. He could deal with Rose's father.

_Chief Tyler! _ he silently scolded himself. _Must not refer to him any other way. He is my _boss._ I am over nine hundred years old. I refuse to be intimidated by my boss._

"You have something against my chairs?" Pete asked teasingly, reminding the Doctor so much of Rose that he couldn't stop his answering grin.

"No, sir." He sat down opposite and tried very hard not to squirm as Pete's mood seemed to shift and he fixed the Doctor with a thoughtful look. He seemed contemplative and curious but the Doctor knew that he could turn deadly serious at any moment.

"Look, Chief, I know how it looked this morning…"

Pete raised an eyebrow. "You were under a table in the middle of a nearly empty police station with my only daughter. How am I supposed to take that?"

"Not the way you obviously are…"

"How do you know how I am taking it?"

"I'm psychic…?"

"Ah, yes," Pete smiled. "So you are telling me you have no ill intentions towards my daughter?"

"No!" the Doctor vehemently protested, immediately re-thinking his reaction when he saw Pete's glare. "Not that she isn't a lovely woman…no, she's completely…lovely. I can easily see many men having ill intentions towards her…"

Pete continued to glare. The Doctor gulped.

"Not that she would act on those intentions, sir! She's just…well…Rose is…um…" Desperate for something to break the tension, the Doctor reached into his coat pocked and produced a white paper bag. "Jelly baby?"

Without breaking eye contact, Pete reached across the desk slowly and dipped his fingers into the bag. He didn't even look to see which color he'd chosen. He simply brought it to his mouth equally slowly, still not glancing away, muttering, "Thank you," before popping the treat in his mouth and chewing thoughtfully.

He swallowed, and began talking. "Rose is a remarkable woman, Doctor. She's had a rough time with men as of late, but instead of letting it get her down she's become stronger from it. Any man she would deem worthy of her affections needs to realize what a precious gift she is giving him, do you understand what I am saying?"

"Oh, without a doubt," the Doctor answered vehemently without thinking. Pete smirked. "I mean…well…yes, I would imagine…"

He chuckled lightly, and before the Doctor could continue his stammering reply, the door opened slightly and none other than the subject of their conversation poked her blonde head into the room and smiled. "Afternoon, gentlemen!"

"Rose, what are you doing here?" the Doctor asked, not quite able to mask the pleasure in his voice at seeing her sooner than expected. "You can't have slept long enough!"

Pete raised an eyebrow at him before continuing. "Yeah, I wasn't expecting you until at least three or four. Your mother is going to kill me."

Rose shrugged. "Couldn't sleep anymore. I'll go home at a decent hour tonight, I promise. What were you two talking about?"

"Nothing!" Pete and the Doctor piped up in unison, sending each other a nervous glance.

Rose wasn't fooled. "Uh-huh, yeah. So, Dr. Smith, care to fill me in on what I missed today?"

The Doctor grinned at her. "Why of course, DI Tyler! I'd be delighted!" He stood and offered his elbow. Rose laughed delightedly, looping her arm through his and sending a smile back to her father.

"See you later, Chief!" she grinned, an expression that Pete returned.

"Have fun you two!" he offered, giving the Doctor one more warning look. He noticeably gulped before turning his attention back to Rose, opening the door for her and gesturing her to go through first.

Pete nodded his approval. They'd be just fine.


	7. Chapter 7

**This chapter contains some non-explicit sexual references, so please be warned. If you'd like to read the full Adult-Rated version of this chapter, it is posted at my livejournal. I'm having trouble posting the link within the story AND on my profile, but my user ID on livejournal is onabearskinrug if you feel so inclined to read it :-)  
><strong>

**Thank you guys SO MUCH for the awesome reviews so far! They keep me smiling ALL THE TIME! You're all amazing!  
><strong>

After an active and eventful few days, Rose was almost glad to be at her desk, setting up interviews with metalworking clients. She'd been running within a 30 mile radius of London to investigate the ridiculous number of individuals and shops who ordered this particular metal-and-chemical combination. Sometimes she'd been with Mickey or Jake, sometimes with Jack or the Doctor. The team continued to work seamlessly together. She felt more at ease here than she ever had in Glasgow.

Over the last few days, Rose had found that she genuinely enjoyed the company of the two private investigators, the three of them being able to bond over hour-long drives, awful traffic jams, and quick takeaway meals. Jack was charismatic and funny, always managing to get more information than people were generally willing to give. He made her laugh with his animated stories of his and the Doctor's adventures, and she found herself referring to him more as a friend than a co-worker.

The Doctor, on the other hand…well, somehow he managed to try and be a complete mystery while still being a completely open book to her. He told her anything she wanted to know, generally explained in long, drawn-out and incredibly animated lectures. They talked about literature and history, and she told him selective stories from her time in Glasgow. He never pushed, never asked her to share more than she wanted, and she was intensely grateful for the easy friendship they had fallen into.

Rose groaned when a cheerful answer phone picked up for the fifth time that hour, and she was just contemplating giving up for the evening when Colin-from-forensics came sauntering up to her desk. Rose groaned anew and resolved to be friendly. She didn't need a harassment suit from threatening to use her tazer.

"Rose!" he said brightly. "What are you doing here all alone at your desk? Aren't you working the Taylor case?"

"No, I've been sitting around filing my nails all day." Rose quipped, taking a deep breath to calm herself down. "I've been on the phone, Colin. Just part of being a detective. Was there something I could help you with?"

"Well, it's Friday night, isn't it? Even if you're pulling an all-nighter, you still need to eat. Do you want to grab a bite? I know this great little pizza place…"

"Oh, Colin," she tried to muster up as much disappointment as she could. "The team is heading down to the pub for dinner tonight. You know, Jake and Mickey? I think Jack and Dr. Smith are joining us, too."

"Did someone call out my name? Gosh, for how often it happens you think I'd recognize it by now…"

Rose smiled and spun her chair, coming to face the two men who were quickly becoming her favorites in the world. "Captain Harkness, Dr. Smith," she greeted formally, the stilted tone she used somewhat undermined by the sparkle in her eye and teasing grin on her face. "Just telling Colin here about our dinner plans."

"Hmmm, thank you, Rose," Jack muttered. He put on a charming smile and stuck out a hand to the strapping ginger. "Hi, Captain Jack Harkness…"

"Oh, _you're _Colin?" the Doctor interrupted Jack, perking up considerably. He reached over the desk and knocked Jack's hand out of the way, enthusiastically greeting the young man. "Brilliant, absolutely wonderful to meet you!" He pulled a wheeled chair over to the desk and parked it next to Rose's, sitting down and casually draping an arm around her shoulders. "So, you're on the forensics team, eh? Fantastic stuff. Couldn't do it myself, completely blind without my specs." He reached into his coat pocket and placed said glasses on his face to demonstrate.

Colin was gaping at the Doctor as if he had no idea what to make of this man. "Sorry, have we met?"

The Doctor looked at him like he'd just dribbled on his shirt. "Yes, just now, remember?" He put on a breathy, high-pitched voice. "Captain Harkness, Dr. Smith, so glad to finally see such strapping specimens of masculinity 'round here. Have you met Corbin?"

"Colin," the young man corrected.

"I do not sound like that," Rose protested, a laugh in her voice, as she swatted the Doctor in the chest.

He grinned at her, eyes sparkling. "Sorry, sorry, must have been channeling preteen Rose there. Surprised I didn't spontaneously break out into 'N Sync!"

"Oi! I told you that in confidence!"

"Didn't realize you and Rose knew each other, Dr. Smith," Colin interrupted smoothly. "I'm sorry we've never had the opportunity to work together. I've heard such great things. I'd like to see your skills for myself."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Is that right?"

"Oh, yeah," Colin grinned and crossed his arms over his chest. "Never put much stock in psychics myself. Then, Chief Tyler certainly wouldn't be chief if he was completely mental, am I right?"

The Doctor fixed Colin in his serious glare, and while Colin didn't falter, Rose did notice a definite shudder in his Adam's apple. She managed a quick glance at Jack, and had to cover her mouth to hide her smile. Jack had a broad grin on his face, he was nibbling on a bag of peanuts, watching the Doctor and Colin's interplay like it was a tennis match.

Rose wasn't even going to question where he found a bag of peanuts.

"Are you asking for a demonstration, Canton?" the Doctor asked, bringing Rose back to the testosterone match before her.

"Colin," he corrected again. "And, yeah, I suppose I am."

The Doctor sniffed, squeezing Rose's shoulder lightly before standing and walking around the desk. "I'll need contact for this. Do you mind?"

"Certainly," he replied, not breaking his slightly defensive posture.

The Doctor placed his fingertips on Colin's temples. Rose couldn't help but recall when she'd allowed him a brief access to her thoughts, one lovely, bright afternoon. After a long morning full of independent jewelry shops, they'd stopped for lunch and managed to cobble together a makeshift picnic during the stolen forty minutes. They'd sat on a blanket with baskets of chips in front of them, laughing at Rose's stories from her childhood. She'd tried to describe a scene from a weekend picnic with her parents and had grown so frustrated at being unable to remember certain details that she'd allowed the Doctor to help drudge up the memory. He'd cupped her face ever so gently, cradling her jaw as if she were the most precious, delicate thing he'd ever held. The smile he'd given her would have made her weak at the knees, had she been standing at the time.

Now however, standing stiffly with the barest contact between himself and Colin, the Doctor's countenance was completely opposite from that afternoon. The Doctor didn't even give him his usual instructions to keep thoughts behind a door. Instead, he began smirking almost immediately.

"Oh, now that's not a very nice thing to think about me, Conan…but then I suppose I can give you points for not saying it out loud."

"_Colin,_" he corrected once again, starting to get visibly irritated. "Well, now that's a pretty obvious guess, Doctor. Give me a little more here…"

The Doctor's expression remained rather indifferent for a few seconds more before he inhaled sharply, breaking contact so suddenly that Colin swayed on his feet, looking almost terrified.

"Now, was that really necessary? I should ask you to apologize to the lady, but you've just lost the right to even speak to her."

Rose started, glancing around as if to find another lady in their presence. "What, me?"

"Yes, you," the Doctor replied, even has his thunderous expression was still trained on the other man. "I really, _really _think it's in your best interest to leave _now_, Colin."

Colin gulped and mumbled a hasty farewell to Rose before skittering away. The Doctor's murderous gaze followed him, his hands in his pockets, posture rigid and tense, until Rose moved from her desk to stand next to him. She looped her arm through his and tugged gently, dislodging his hand from his pocket and, in an almost unconscious gesture, linked their fingers together.

"Hey," she said, almost soothingly. "He's a creep. I don't think he'll bother me again, do you?"

The Doctor turned to look at her, his expression immediately softening as a warm, bright smile spread across his face. "Oh, no, Inspector Tyler. I think he will be the consummate professional."

Rose grinned back, her tongue caught between her teeth. "Come on, you, let's get to dinner. I could murder some chips."

* * *

><p>"That was fun, wasn't that fun?" Rose asked giddily, tugging the Doctor along with her as she practically danced down the street.<p>

"You, my dear Inspector, had one too many pints," he told her, unable to contain his smile at her behavior. He'd known her practically a week and he'd never seen her this carefree and happy. He'd also never seen her look so lovely, her hair loose around her shoulders and her cheeks flushed a rosy pink from the slight, mid-spring chill in the air. "You are drunk. I swear, humans and their inability to metabolize alcohol…"

"I am not drunk," Rose protested. "I am slightly tipsy. Three pints does not get me wasted, thank you very much."

"Oh, I apologize," the Doctor grinned. "Do you not have to work in the morning?"

Rose made a face. "No. 'S my 'mandatory' day off. Doesn't mean I won't be working, just means I can't set foot into the station unless there's an emergency. Chief's orders."

"Sounds like a brilliant Saturday," the Doctor said, squeezing her hand.

Rose sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Maybe. Just feels like I'm not doing enough, you know? We've got so much information to wade through and we're not making any progress. Even this lead could be a waste of time. Our killer could have used any number of internet sites to order his supplies, or even someone outside of London. But 's all we've got for now. And we need to find this guy before he finds another victim."

"You're doing your best, Rose," the Doctor reassured. "Taking a day off does not mean you aren't pulling your weight. Would you think ill of Mickey for taking a day off? Or Jake?"

"No, 'course not," Rose answered, sighing. "You're right, as usual. God, you're smart. Is that an alien thing?"

The Doctor laughed. "No, definitely not an alien thing. Maybe a Time Lord thing. We were a stuffy bunch, very hopped up on ceremony and being important and fussy. But, we were geniuses. At least we had that going for us."

"You never said, you know…"

"Hmm? Said what?"

"What happened to your planet, your people."

"Oh," the Doctor replied softly. "Well, they're gone, all of them, everything. Just me and the TARDIS, that's my ship. We're the last."

"But why?"

The Doctor hesitated. He wasn't sure how prepared he was to unleash this can of worms. Did he really want Rose to know his whole, sordid, angst-ridden history?

Then Rose squeezed his hand gently. He looked at her, big brown eyes staring up at him intently, urging him to share while at the same time sending wave after wave of reassurance. He could tell her anything. And she _wanted _to know. That was the most amazing part. She genuinely was curious about him and his past. She was interested in _him, _and that certainly was new.

"The was a war," he began, staring straight ahead at the darkened residential street. "The Time War. The biggest, most destructive war in all of time and space. And we lost. Well, everyone lost I suppose. Gallifrey burned. So did my people."

"Oh, God," Rose gasped, stopping herself and the Doctor mid-stride. "I had no idea. So, everyone? Your family? Your friends?"

"Gone," he replied.

Rose looked down at the pavement before taking in a deep, shuddering breath. Then she raised her eyes to meet his. The Doctor was shocked to see that they were noticeably wet. She pulled his other hand out of his pocket so that she was grasping both of them. "I'm so sorry, Doctor. I can't even imagine what that must have been like."

The Doctor was touched. There wasn't an ounce of pity in her gaze. It was all pure sorrow, as though she could actually feel how much it had hurt to press that final button. He took in a deep breath through his nose and attempted nonchalance, gripping Rose's hands briefly before continuing their walk. "It's been a hundred years, literally, for me anyway. Jack helped a lot, if you can believe it. Mind you, most people can't."

Rose shook her head, fixated on one single aspect of the Doctor's ramble. "Hold on, a hundred years? How old _are _you?"

"Nine hundred and five…well, give or take a few months…hard to reconcile the Galifreyian calendar with Earth's rotation…"

He trailed off as he noticed his arm being pulled gently backwards. He stopped and turned back to Rose, who had stopped walking and was staring after him, completely bewildered. And still, she had yet to relinquish his hand. _That _certainly was nice.

"What?" he asked.

"You're nine hundred years old?"

"Yes. That all right?"

"Yeah," Rose answered, starting to walk alongside of him again. "Just…one hell of an age gap."

"An age gap for what?"

Her cheeks flushed attractively, and he grinned. "Nothing, nothing at all. Well, look at that, here's my place. Thanks for walking me home, Doctor. Even though I really, _really _didn't need it."

The Doctor shrugged. "Three pints and impractical footwear tend to get people in trouble, no matter how good of a detective he or she might be."

Rose scoffed. "I could still take you. One hand behind my back."

The Doctor grinned. "Might have to take you up on that. Remind me to give you a lesson on Venusian aikido. You know…when you're feeling better."

Rose rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. "I'm feeling fine now," she murmured. "Thank you again, Doctor. It was nice to have some company. Be careful headed back to the office, yeah?"

"Oh, you know me, I'm always careful."

She snorted. "Yeah, sure." Her expression turned thoughtful for a moment, then conflicted, before she finally settled on firmly determined and wrapped her arms around the Doctor's neck, pulling him into a warm, tight embrace.

The Doctor's hearts were beating out an erratic rhythm in his chest as his arms seemed to rise on instinct. He wrapped them around her waist and tugged her closer, resting his chin on top of her head and closing his eyes. _Why _hadn't he done this before? This was quite possibly the greatest he'd ever felt while stranded on Earth. He was warm and content, as well as slightly giddy and even a bit dizzy as he breathed in the light citrus scent of Rose's hair.

Maybe he should try the same with Jack? For comparison's sake? Perhaps it was always like this, hugging a human. Perhaps it had something to do with their lovely, warm body temperature and their constantly-firing hormones. Did they all smell this _good? _He tried to recall a moment where a human had smelled as good as Rose did now, but for the life of him he could not think of _anyone_.Certainly not Jack. Absolutely not Mickey or Jake. Was it because he'd never taken the time to notice before, or because truly no human he'd ever come across in his nine-hundred years smelled nearly as good as Detective Inspector Rose Tyler did now?

In his racing thoughts, he'd barely noticed Rose pulling slowly out of his embrace. He had to swallow the little noise of disappointment that nearly escaped his throat. Some of the emotion must have shown on his face, because Rose grinned that brilliant, tongue-in-teeth grin at him and placed a sweet kiss on his cheek.

"Don't pout," she whispered. "It's not becoming at all."

"I am not pouting," he nearly whined. "Time Lords do not pout."

Rose chuckled. "I'll see you in a couple of days, Doctor, yeah? Don't forget to call me if something comes up!"

"But what am I supposed to do all day without you?" Definitely whining that time.

Rose laughed again, the lovely, melodic sound of happiness making him smile stupidly at her. "I'm sure you'll think of something. Put that big brain of yours to work."

"Oh, all right." He watched her slide her key into the front door of the simple, converted brownstone that held her flat. She turned back to him once more and offered a bright smile.

"Good night, Doctor."

He smiled back. "Good night, Rose."

* * *

><p>The Doctor watched Rose, spinning joyously in the light of the twin moons among glittering, frozen waves. She was bundled up adorably, the funky multi-colored knit of her hat and scarf standing out in a bright contrast to her black wool pea coat. She was practically glowing with happiness, her cheeks pink-tinged from the cold. The Doctor was dressed as normal with only his long tan coat over the ever-present pinstripes, the cold not affecting him as much as it did Rose. He was standing back, hands tucked into his pockets, a small smile gracing his features as he watched one of his favorite people practically sparkle with joy.<p>

"This is incredible," she told him, moving forward. She tugged his hands out of his pockets and deposited them on the small of her back, snuggling against him for warmth. "Where are we?"

"It's called Women Wept," he told her. "When you look at it from above, the continent looks like a woman hunched over. The sun burned out, hundreds of years ago, right in the middle of a storm, freezing these waves forever. It's one of my favorite planets. I've been wanting to bring you here for a _long, _long time."

"It's so gorgeous," she said, her mitten-encased hands working into his untidy mop of hair, ruffling it affectionately before pulling him into a hug. "_Thank you._"

"You're welcome," he murmured, hugging her back. After a few lovely moments of enjoying her human warmth, he pulled away and turned slightly, keeping her tucked into his side as he surveyed their surroundings. "This is what the universe is full of, Rose. Wonderful, amazing, _brilliant _things." He turned back and grasped her hands in his. "Seeing it all again with you? It's going to be _fantastic_."

"Yeah?" Rose smiled brilliantly at him.

"Yeah," he grinned back. She was absolutely beautiful, his Rose. His brilliant, strong, incredibly clever pink-and-yellow girl_._

She stood on her tiptoes and brushed her cold lips across his cheek. His eyes closed involuntarily at the contact.

"This is amazing," she told him. "I take it all back. You're not a cheap date at all."

The Doctor laughed heartily and pulled her back into a hug.

Later, he would still maintain that he had no idea what came over him.

Rose pulled away gently, remaining in his arms and smiling brilliantly at him. Their eyes locked and the Doctor's breath caught in his throat. His mouth suddenly went dry and his hearts pounded out an erratic rhythm. A stray lock of hair had escaped from her cap. He brushed it away gently, almost reverently, and Rose's eyes closed as she shivered under his touch.

Rose was all he saw at that moment. Bathed in moonlight, cheeks flushed pink, bundled against the cold but snuggled against him (despite his noticeably lower body temperature), he felt an unusual compulsion that he hadn't experienced…_well_…ever.

Before he could overanalyze it, he swept in and pressed his lips against hers.

Rose tensed against him for a split second before winding her arms around his neck and pulling him tighter against her.

The Doctor moaned into her mouth, and Rose took the opportunity to slide her tongue past his lips and entangle it with his own. His quite impressive brain went blissfully blank as their tongues danced, playing against one another in a languorous, unhurried, perfect choreography.

"Rose," he whispered as she pulled away slowly.

"Care to take this somewhere a bit…warmer?" she murmured.

"Oh, yes," he breathed, capturing her mouth yet again, groaning with relief as he cradled her jaw gently in his hands. How he managed to maneuver them through the frozen waves without tripping and insert his key into the TARDIS door while still keeping their mouths firmly fused together was beyond his brainpower at that particular moment. He very suddenly found himself engulfed in warm air and pressed against the wooden door of his ship, his arms full of his absolute favorite human in the entirety of space and time.

Rose was kissing him quite thoroughly and he couldn't stop his hands from moving from her jaw to gently massage her neck. Now it was Rose's turn to moan softly into the kiss, the small noise of pleasure causing him to involuntarily thrust his hips against her.

Rose broke the kiss, leaning back and smiling at him teasingly. "Is that a sonic screwdriver in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"

"Happy to see you," he gasped breathlessly, moving in to press kisses anywhere he could reach, murmuring between each. "_Defintitely…_happy…to see you…and you wouldn't…be able…to feel the sonic…in my pockets, they're…dimensionally transcendental…"

Rose was gasping and panting, her fingers curling into his hair and tugging gently, pulling his face away from her neck to kiss him thoroughly once more. He noted briefly that she must have discarded her mittens, but he stopped thinking completely as she did something brilliant with her tongue. "Don't care," she said against his lips. "Was being facetious…"

"Of course you were…" he whispered, running his hands up the scratchy wool of her pea coat up to her cheeks, stroking them tenderly before working into her hair and dislodging the cap from her head. He ran his fingers through the blonde tresses and Rose's grip on his hair tightened reflexively.

"Doctor," she moaned into his mouth. "Bedroom…"

"Yes…" He tugged at her scarf, unraveling it from around her neck and dropping it onto the grating to join her hat.

"_Doctor_," Rose warned as he began to attack the buttons of her coat.

"_Rose,_" he mimicked. He dipped his hands underneath the wool, tracing along the newly-exposed curves. She gasped as he caressed the side of her breast.

"Doctor, _please,_" she pleaded. "I've wanted this, _wanted you…_"

"Oh, Rose, me too…I'm sorry it took me so long."

She was so _warm, _and so soft, and she tasted _so good_, and he knew he could lose himself in kissing her, for hours or even days. Just drifting in the Vortex, pressed against the struts or in the library or even the infirmary, he wasn't at all particular.

"I _said_," she told him, pushing him away slightly. "Bedroom, Doctor?"

He pouted, leaning in for another kiss before Rose stopped him with two fingers against his lips. "I could bring you in for failure to cooperate with a law enforcement official. Do I need to cuff you, Doctor?"

Her voice was husky and teasing, and the Doctor felt a thrill run through him as he nearly growled and pulled her back against him.

He could barely recall the trip down the corridors to his bedroom. What he could recall besides breathy moans and Rose's amazing tongue was the whispered words of love before drifting into a satisfied sleep...

* * *

><p>The Doctor awoke with a jolt, the book that had been resting on his chest thudding to the floor. He felt oddly disoriented, and glanced over to the side of the bed, where he expected to see Rose curled up in his duvet, mussed and sleepy from their lovemaking the night before. But as he slowly came more awake, his hearts sank as he realized that while he was in his room on the TARDIS, Rose was not there with him.<p>

They had never gone to Women Wept. They were still stranded in London, and what he'd experienced was an unusually vivid Time Lord dream. A dream where he made love to Detective Inspector Rose Tyler. A dream where they'd not only made love, they'd also admitted that they loved one another.

He fell back against his pillows and scrubbed his hands over his face. His body was still singing from the dream's effects, and he felt oddly melancholy that he wasn't waking up next to Rose. Could this have been a glimpse of a possible time line? Or was it just wishful thinking on his part? Could it simply be because he wasn't used to spending so much time with a human female anymore and his biology was adjusting to her hormones?

All he knew as he settled back against the pillows was how very badly he wanted to go back to sleep. The details of the dream were so vivid and clear, and the overwhelming emotion he'd felt throughout was something he'd long ago given up on completely. From watching Rose dance among the waves of Woman Wept to drifting off with her in his arms, he'd felt _content._ He so, _so _badly wanted to feel that way again, even if only in a dream.

And this terrified him more than anything else in his very, _very _long life.

* * *

><p>The Doctor awoke several hours later to his mobile tinkling out George Michael. He grumbled something about never leaving Jack along with his mobile, still not entirely awake and still reeling from his dream involving Rose, a polka-dot bikini, a ukulele, and a coconut bra (strangely enough, the last one was for Jack, not Rose). He squinted at the display before smiling brilliantly and sliding the phone on.<p>

"How can you _possibly _be awake right now?" he greeted.

"I like to get the first cup of coffee at Starbucks. Don't judge me," Rose's laughing voice answered over the phone. "I'm glad you're awake."

"Wasn't until you called," he replied petulantly. "What's going on?"

"Well!" Rose began, the delight evident in her voice. "Guess what your clever DI has just figured out?"

"How to convert oxygen into carbon dioxide? The square root of pi? That you can make silly putty with a bit of school glue and borax?"

"Oh you think you're so funny," Rose teased. "None of the above, actually. I was reading the paper, and you'll never guess what advert I came across."

"SWM seeks SWF willing to engage in light SNM?"

"God, you're smarmy when someone wakes you up," she protested, though he could still hear the smile in her voice. "No, apparently there's a Renaissance Faire coming through town this weekend. I thought about what Janice's profile said, figured it wouldn't hurt to go have a snoop around, would it?"

"Isn't today your day off?" the Doctor asked suspiciously.

"Nothing in the rulebook about enjoying a lovely day outdoors with a dear friend," Rose retorted. "You busy today?"

"Not really," he said, a grin spreading across his face. "What did you have in mind, Inspector?"

"Well, Dr. Smith…" she began. The Doctor imagined the smile she would have on her face, the one that generally made the room go warm and have him thinking far too much about her tongue. "D'you fancy a bit of mischief?"

The Doctor grinned. "With you, Rose? Always."


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! I swear, I'm going to get around to answering them! RL kind of exploded all over my face, but things have quieted down now :-) Again, thank you so much! And thank you to my awesome sistahs for all of their help!**

"Yo, Doc!" Jack's voice echoed through the TARDIS corridors. "Where are you?"

"In here, Jack!" the Doctor called back, turning his attention back to the vast walk-in closet in front of him. He surveyed the collection of brown pinstriped suits, Oxford shirts, Henleys, ties, and trainers, scrutinizing every possible combination of suit/shirt/tie and the probability that Rose would be pleased, based on her past reactions and hormonal outputs to his various outfits.

"Sight for sore eyes," Jack teased. The Doctor turned and saw Jack, leaning against the doorway of his bedroom, taking in his vest-and-boxer-brief combination with a lascivious grin. He tossed a set of keys across the room, which the Doctor caught neatly in his hand. "Mind telling me why you need the car? Though I really don't mind if _this _is my reward…"

"Stop it, Jack," he replied, feigning exasperation. "But thanks for coming by so quickly. Can I…er…ask your help with something?" He gestured towards the closet.

"With what?" Jack asked, perplexed. "You cleaning out your closet? Reorganizing? I know someone we can hire to do that for you, you know. A professional closet organizer. Olga Something-or-Other. She was _gorgeous…_"

"Not that," The Doctor rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Rose and I are going to do a little digging at the Renaissance Faire. She vetoed costumes so now I'm at a loss…Jack? Why are you look at me like that?"

Jack was gaping at him. "You and Rose…you're going out today? Just the two of you?"

The Doctor nearly rolled his eyes at his partner. "Yes, haven't I said that? It's her day off, but she saw an ad in the paper and asked if I could go. I'm picking her up in an hour. She didn't call and ask you?"

"Um, no. Frankly, I'm a little hurt. No accounting for taste, I guess."

"Well, not gonna argue with _that_," the Doctor grinned. "Now, really. What does a normal bloke wear to go to a Renaissance Faire?"

"You are _not _a normal bloke, Doctor," Jack grinned and walked over to join the Doctor in front of his closet. He let out a low whistle. "I can see what you mean. Do you wear the brown pinstripes, the brown pinstripes, or the brown pinstripes?"

"I'm mainly concerned about the shirt-and-tie combination," the Doctor told Jack, moving into the closet and gesturing at the rack of shirts. "Rose seems to like that swirly blue tie, but is a full shirt-and-tie combination really appropriate for a day outdoors?" His voice was growing increasingly panicked as his arms gestured all over the small room. "Maybe just a shirt? What about layers? What number of layers is appropriate? Oh, my God, Jack, this is a date, isn't it? I've never taken a girl on a date before! What the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Okay, Doctor, calm down," Jack soothed, placing his arm on his friend's shoulders. "Deep breaths, in and out…"

The Doctor did as he said, taking deep breaths in and out while Jack shuffled through the hanging shirts. He handed him one of the brown suits and a simple deep blue Oxford. "Here, put these on. No undershirt, no tie. First few buttons undone. You've got a great neck, might as well show it off. Yeah, I said it, don't give me that look. Go on, get dressed, you'll feel better. And your hair is perfect, keep it just like that. Brown Chucks. You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, fine…good, I'm fine," the Doctor said, his voice only somewhat unsteady as he moved into his bathroom to change clothes. Jack sat down on the edge of the bed and listening to the Doctor moving around in the ensuite. What was going on with him? Even when the pressure was mounting, even at a high-stakes investigation, he was never this flustered. Plus, he'd never seemed anything other than ridiculously happy, even to the point of giddy, in Rose's presence. Jack had never seen him like this before. Why was he so suddenly having panic attacks at the thought of spending the day with her?

The Doctor emerged from the ensuite, fully dressed and hair in perfect place, and headed towards the closet for his shoes. "So you gonna tell me what all of this is about?" Jack questioned.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the Doctor replied. Chucks in hand, he sat next to Jack on the bed and became very engrossed in lacing and tying the perfect knot.

"You and Rose have been joined at the hip for nearly a week. You spend more time with her than with anyone else. Hell, even I've barely seen one of you without the other. So you're going to investigate at the Renaissance Faire. I remember Janice's profile. It's not unreasonable. Yet you were hyperventilating not five minutes ago. You gotta toss me a bone here, Doc."

The Doctor, apparently satisfied with his shoelaces, straightened up and rubbed his hands over his face. "Yeah, sorry, Jack. You're right. Just…odd dreams last night is all. Very odd. Unnerving."

"What kind of dreams? Sexy ones?" Jack grinned and waggled his eyebrows. He'd meant it as a joke, but the way the Doctor flushed at the words and couldn't quite meet his eyes confirmed it.

Jack started howling with laughter. "Oh, this is _priceless! _Never thought I'd see the day! Come on, tell me. How do Time Lords have sex dreams? I'll bet it was wild. Rose has gotta be a firecracker in bed."

"Jack," the Doctor warned. "Keep it together. God, I'm spending too much time with you humans. All these mad hormones rushing about. Must be affecting me more than I realized. Anyway, it's got me on edge. I don't know if I can look at her and not see what I saw in the dream. She was…well…I don't think there's a word in your language that could do her justice."

"Wow," Jack breathed. "You've got it bad, Doctor."

The Doctor scoffed and pushed off the bed in frustration. "I do not 'have it bad' as you so eloquently put it. Who knows what the dream was all about? I enjoy her company and appreciate her intelligence. If the TARDIS were functional, I would ask her along without a second thought. It was just a first for me, Jack. Never had a dream like it before and now I'm all…_discombobulated._"

Jack couldn't hide his smirk. "Discombobulated?"

The Doctor looked thoughtful. "You're right, doesn't fit the teeth. The point still stands. I'm picking her up in forty-five minutes. How do I face her?"

"Look, it's not like you _actually _slept with her. Humans have weird dreams all the time. You and I have sex three or four times a week. You know, in my head." Jack grinned at him.

The Doctor couldn't help but smile affectionately back at his best friend. "Yeah?"

"Yes," he replied. "Now, you're beautiful. Let's go grab a Pop Tart and you can tell me all about this dream of yours…" He turned to head out of the TARDIS and back into their office.

"Hold on just a minute," the Doctor said, stopping Jack with a hand on his shoulder. "You mind if I try something? A little…experiment, I guess? For the sake of science?"

Jack looked at him, confused, but still nodded his head.

The Doctor reached out, wrapped his arms around Jack's neck and pulled him into a hug. Jack froze, keeping his hands firmly at his side as the Doctor held him in his embrace. He wasn't sure what to do or how to respond. He and the Doctor were friends, best friends, and had shared celebratory hugs on occasion, but typically, he was pretty hands-off. Except with Rose. So what the hell was he doing, just hugging him out of the blue and…_sniffing _him?

Before Jack could react, the Doctor pulled away, hands on Jack's shoulders, and smiled a bit before patting him in an almost conciliatory gesture. "Sorry, Rose's was better. Anyway, Pop-Tarts?"

* * *

><p>The Doctor watched Rose grin in delight as a minstrel's lilting tune wafted from beyond the arched entrance to the Renaissance Faire. People were milling around the gate, some dressed in elaborate medieval-themed costumes while others were in simple, modern fare like he and Rose. He remembered his shock at seeing her dressed so casually when he'd arrived to pick her up. He'd only ever seen her in her nicely-tailored business wear, her hair often tied back and always in sensible-but-stylish shoes. Today, in her dark jeans, turquoise hooded sweatshirt, white t-shirt and trainers, her blonde hair hanging loose around her shoulders, Rose looked young, comfortable, and completely unassuming. Even though they weren't here in an <em>official <em>investigative capacity, the Doctor knew that, on some level, Rose was still playing detective, conscious of putting people at ease so they could speak freely around her.

_That's my girl_, he thought affectionately, squeezing her hand. _Always thinking._

Rose squeezed back and turned to face him. "I'm just gonna go pick up our tickets, they're at Ye Olde Box Office."

"Oh, I suppose they took Lady Visa, did they?"

Rose laughed. "And Sir MasterCard. Now don't you disappear, I'll just be a moment."

The Doctor grinned after her, steadfastly not admiring the fit of her jeans as she walked away. Very quickly, he began to shift his weight restlessly from foot to foot. He did not like being idle for any length of time, and he was just contemplating what he could do to fill the next few minutes when he felt a small tap on his shoulder.

He spun around and found himself face-to-face with Rose, who was smiling mischievously at him, tongue caught between her teeth. He smiled back and was about to ask how she'd gotten back so quickly when she launched herself at him, locking her arms around his neck and crashing their lips together.

_Ohhhhh, _this was _so _much better than the dream. It was as if Rose knew _exactly _how to kiss him, _exactly _where to stroke her tongue to make him go wild for her. Her hands were in his hair, his were somewhere in the vicinity of her bum, and he was vaguely aware of passersby catcalling as they snogged heatedly in the middle of the crowd.

Rose broke away from him far too soon, and his lips followed after hers as he made a little noise of disapproval in his throat. Rose smiled broadly at him, pulling him down to gently nip at his earlobe and whispered, "Did you remember to wear your lucky pinstriped pants?"

The Doctor gaped at her. "How on Earth…" It was then that he noticed that Rose was dressed completely differently than she had been earlier. Her jeans were a lighter wash, her jacket was red, and her hair was tied back in a simple ponytail.

All the blood drained from his face, while at the same time he began to practically buzz with excitement. "You're from the future…we're in the TARDIS? Where am I? Why are you _here?_ Rose…"

Rose pressed her fingers to his lips. "Just go with it, yeah?" She glanced around before pressing another swift kiss to his lips. "Gotta run. That oughta hold you for a while."

He watched her scamper off, and was just about to call after her when he felt the tap on his shoulder once more.

"Here ya go," Rose said as he spun around, taking in the darker jeans and blue sweatshirt. "Blimey, you all right? I leave you alone for two minutes and you look like you've seen a ghost."

"Not exactly a ghost," the Doctor murmured before shaking his head minutely and turning his full attention back to Rose. "Sorry, must have lost my head a bit there. Ready?"

"Ready!" she replied, taking his hand and smiling at him. "Come on! We don't want to miss the jousting!"

* * *

><p>They did, in fact, make it to the jousting, and the Doctor moaned thoroughly about the inaccuracies during the entire event. They wandered a bit after, enjoying a lunch of turkey legs and chips, an animal powered carousel ride, and a trip around the fairgrounds in a horse-drawn cart. They admired the accuracy (or lack thereof) of people's costumes, and Rose listened with rapt attention to the Doctor's stories of being mistaken for Merlin in King Arthur's court.<p>

It was when they were seated on a bench, sharing a lemonade between them that the Doctor realized that he felt _good. _Remarkably, unfathomably _good. _He hadn't felt anything near this good since he'd recovered from his regeneration sickness in Jack's family home on the Boeshane Peninsula. Though he and Jack both still had gaps in their memories from the Game Station, he remembered the massive Christmas dinner that followed his recovery. It seemed as though the entire community had come out to thank them for taking down a dangerous alien force, but it was only when they were all sitting around the small family table that the Doctor felt some semblance of content. He laughed with Grey, Jack's younger brother, and showed the 51st Century family how to use Christmas crackers. They donned the silly paper hats, and the Doctor felt like he _belonged _somewhere, for the first time in his very long life.

Sitting there with Rose, a feeling of not only contentment, but peace finally settled over him. He was watching Rose laugh at his stories, watching her eyes light up and sparkle as she asked him about his life and his travels, watching her sip at the plastic cup that was in no way historically accurate, watching her hair shine in the mid-afternoon sun, and for the first time in over 900 years, he felt _happy._

He decided not to ignore his impulse to wrap his arms around her shoulder and pull her into his side. He sighed when she seemed to mold to his body, curling into him and making a small, happy noise that would have been inaudible to a human's ears.

When the realization hit him, it should have been with the force of a wrecking ball. Instead it was a quiet, creeping thing that had been building slowly and gently over the last week of smiles, laughter, innocent touches, not-so-innocent dreams and incredible kisses from the future. And when it hit him, it wasn't nearly as terrifying as he thought it would be.

Jack was right. Well, _that _bit was terrifying. The next bit, however…

The Doctor indeed had it _bad _for Detective Inspector Rose Tyler.

And he was very suddenly overtaken by the compulsion to _tell her so._

In fact, in his lovely, quiet euphoria, he was just about to speak up when a minstrel stopped directly in front of them, carrying a lute and plucking out the opening notes to _I Wanna Hold Your Hand._

Rose laughed and clapped her hands in delight. "How'd you ever figure out that this was my favorite song? Oh, you mad, sneaky alien!"

The Doctor smiled back, loving seeing her happy but secretly glad the minstrel had such good timing. He managed to calm his racing hearts, step back and think about this most recent revelation logically. Despite his rather spectacular snog with Future Rose that morning, he could feel in his bones that this was not the right time to give voice to his feelings. He knew Rose was attracted to him, but he found it hard to believe that she had come to feel as strongly for him as he did for her in such a short span of time. He still couldn't get a sense of her future timelines, so he had no idea how to ensure the timeline he caught a glimpse of this morning. Certainly time could be rewritten, he'd seen it often enough in his travels, but he wanted to do everything in his power to have Rose and her spectacular snogging skills traveling with him through time and space.

The minstrel finished singing, and Rose clapped enthusiastically. Other people had gathered, clapping with warm smiles on their faces, obviously assuming the two of them were a couple enjoying a romantic moment. Rose looked at him with shining, smiling eyes before leaning in and pressing a lingering kiss near the corner of his mouth. She then threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him tight, as usual making his hearts thrum out an uneven staccato.

"That was lovely," she whispered in his ear. "_Thank you._"

Even though he hadn't done a thing (although he had his suspicions, based on his visit from Future Rose earlier), knowing that Rose was happy and in his arms was enough. Even if he had to feel for Rose from afar for now, not acknowledging what was building between them, he knew it was preferable to anything he'd felt before Rose had come into his life.

"You're welcome," he murmured, giving her one last squeeze before breaking their embrace and smiling. "Now, you've had your fun, Inspector. Shall we do a bit of investigating? I believe our best course of action would be to check out the handmade goods, see if we can get some information out of the vendors. What do you think?"

"Sounds promising, Dr. Smith," Rose teased. She stood up and stretched, offering her hand to the Doctor. He smiled and allowed her to pull him up before leading them to the many tables, booths, and tents that housed the different crafters. Walking among them, the Doctor noticed a great deal of clothing, pewter goods, and even an entire tent dedicated to elaborate corsets that he half-wished Rose would stop to admire. But he knew where Rose was headed. She wanted to look at the handmade jewelry, and he knew she was hoping they'd find something similar to the rings. The investigation was stagnating, and he knew she was desperate for a new direction.

However, things were looking more and more dire as they moved through the section. There were tables of lovely beaded jewelry, some with intricate pieces that were woven together with wire, and several with a great deal of elaborate pendants, but nothing that she felt required further scrutiny.

Until they glanced at the goods on one of the last tables and simultaneously froze. There, sitting right in front of them, was a display of hand-molded rings and pendants. While there didn't seem to be any similar puzzle rings, the pendants bore a striking resemblance, the interlocking design held together by simple silver chains. Immediately, Rose perked up and began to browse, catching the attention of the purveyor of the stand.

"Ahh, good lady," the older man said silkily. "I see my wares have caught your eye. A beautiful maiden should be adorned with beautiful things, yes?"

The Doctor glared at the man. He was quite a bit older than Rose, looking like he was nearing fifty despite being in fairly good shape. His hair was thinning, though not balding, and had taken on a salt-and-pepper quality that he knew some women found attractive. He wore a pair of leather gloves with his basic tunic and trousers, and the Doctor decided he did not like the way the man had fixed Rose in his piercing gaze. It was unnerving him, and he knew it had nothing to do with jealousy.

Rose, friendly and disarming as ever, simply laughed. "And these are beautiful. I love the pendants. Did you make everything on the table?"

"Yes, milady," he answered her in the same smooth tone as before. "My father was skilled in the craft. In fact, he made his and my mother's wedding rings. They were quite similar to the pendants. Your rings are quite lovely as well. I applaud your excellent taste."

"Oh, thank you!" Rose replied, glancing down at the two small rings that always adorned her fingers. "They belonged to my grandmother."

"Ah, family heirlooms. You know, that the ring symbolizes eternity. The endless circle. Beginning and ending in the same place. Rings are best when tradition are attached to them, don't you agree?"

The Doctor could tell Rose's guard was up. His was as well. Something was…off about this purveyor, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He needed more information.

"You are very talented," the Doctor broke in, handling as many pieces as he could, passing them to the man to replace in their holders, hoping to find an excuse to touch man and hopefully get a glimpse of his timeline or thoughts. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful. Any skin that could be brushed accidentally was covered by sleeves or gloves, and he finally asked if the man had any additional stock somewhere.

"I do have other wares available in the mystical realm known as the Internet," he said, handing the Doctor a business card. "There are many similar designs, though represented in a great number of different pieces." He turned his attention back to Rose, and the degree to which he was focused on her made the Doctor uncomfortable. "Sometimes, though things are noticeably different, it is comforting to focus on the similarities, yes?"

Rose held the man's gaze for a moment before plucking the business card from the Doctor's hands and inspecting it carefully. "Claude's Wares. Claude, thank you. These are really, really beautiful. Maybe I'll have to sneak John here some hints for my birthday, yeah?"

Rose laughed, a sound that was so contagious that most of the people around her felt compelled to join in. Claude just gave her a tight-lipped, forced smile. "You have such lovely blonde hair. One of the merchants is selling ornaments you may enjoy. I bid you good day, good sir and lady." He turned away quickly and immediately zeroed in on another customer who had just approached his stand.

Rose scowled and tucked the business card into her bag as they moved on to the next table, which was selling the lovely, elaborate hair ornaments. "Rude, wasn't he? Couldn't wait to move on to the next sale once he knew we weren't buying."

"Something about him was off," the Doctor murmured, absently picking up a floral clip and holding it against her hair.

"Hmmm…" Rose trailed off thoughtfully. "You're right, as usual. Just that gut instinct, you know? Oh, well, some odd people do frequent this circuit sometimes. I'm sure it's nothing."

She didn't sound convinced, and her eyes remained distant for the next few minutes, completely lost in thought. It wasn't until the Doctor plopped a gorgeous, pink floral garland on her head and began pinning it into place that the clerk's delighted squeals brought her back into the moment.

"There we go," the Doctor said, turning her to face the small mirror. "Gorgeous. It suits you, Inspector. In fact…" The Doctor pulled a billfold out of his pocket and offered a few notes to the clerks before placing her hand on the small of Rose's back and leading her towards the last few stands.

Rose laughed. "And Jack told me you were a cheap date. I'll have to tell him how wrong he was."

At the words "cheap date," the Doctor froze, memories from his dream and their kiss this morning flooding back to him. Suddenly, his entire body felt flushed, and his hand on Rose's lower back felt incredibly intimate. He moved his hand to grip hers, squeezing gently and feeling much better about his wandering appendages being in neutral territory.

"Doctor," Rose stopped walking and placed a hand on his arm, pulling him gently towards her. "I have to say, strange vendors aside, today has been really, _really _great. I can't remember the last time I had this much fun."

The Doctor grinned. "I'm glad."

She stood on her tiptoes and placed another kiss on his cheek before enveloping him in a hug. "Thank you. For everything."

"Anything for you, Rose Tyler," he said, tweaking her nose affectionately before moving on, their joined hands swinging gently between them.

_Anything for her_, he thought as he watched Rose gush appropriately over hand-crafted swords and armor. _Wonder if she has any idea how true that statement is._


	9. Chapter 9

**Many, MANY apologies for this taking so long! Real life 'sploded all over my face. I also apologize if I didn't respond to any reviews last chapter. I love every one of them and they are SO SO SO appreciated! I will try not to fail so badly this time around! Enjoy! :-D**

Rose charged into the station at seven Monday morning, armed with a selection of coffee and pastries and feeling completely refreshed. Something Claude the jeweler had said on Saturday had been niggling in the back of her mind ever since, and she was ready to get working with a new outlook on the case. They had been looking for obvious links between the victims, but the only thing they could determine were the similar physical appearance. Rose was determined to dig deeper, to find any link between the victims that she could. Their killer was too deliberate, too methodical, and too…_fanciful _for this to solely be about appearances. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were missing something, and Rose was determined to find it. The deadline was fast approaching, barely two days were left, and she did not want to give this man a chance to kill again.

Rose stopped at her dad's office, dropping a coffee on his desk as he smiled at her. He was on the phone, already knee-deep in the day's work, and she offered him a small wave before finding Mickey and Jake at their desks. They were already well into work-mode, typing furiously and firing questions at one another. She handed them each a paper cup and offered first choice of the pastries before explaining her plan of action, grabbing the file of interviews, and diving right in.

Hours later, Rose had gotten absolutely nowhere. She had managed to get through both sets of co-worker interviews and had run the corresponding background checks, but absolutely nothing had leapt out at her as an out-of-the-ordinary connection. Some had gone to the same universities, some lived in the same areas of London, but none of that could translate into a workable connection. She was just about to concede and suggest lunch when the Doctor and Jack bustled up to their desks with takeaway bags, both of them looking inordinately pleased with themselves.

"God, you really are psychic, aren't you?" Jake teased, relieving Jack of a few bags and setting them on his desk.

The Doctor sniffed. "Right, Simmonds. It took my massive intellect to figure out that you lot would be hungry at lunch time. Will wonders never cease?"

Jake grinned. "Regular Sherlock Holmes, you are."

Rose breathed in the smell of the Thai food and grinned at the two men. "You two are worth every penny my dad is paying you. Come on, let's get into the conference room and you can tell us what you've been doing all morning."

Mickey, Jake, and Jack led the way, each carrying a few bags. The Doctor lingered back with Rose as she gathered her notes in preparation for a working lunch.

"Hey there, stranger," she greeted warmly, bumping her shoulder against his. "I missed you this morning. Where have you two been?"

"Oh, you know," the Doctor responded casually as they headed towards the conference room. "The usual. Ran around London, chased down suspects, wrestled a boar with my bare hands, picked up lunch…oh, and we did a little digging at Lara's accounting office and Jocelyn's law firm."

"Oh, yeah?" she replied, inspecting the Styrofoam containers and selecting her usual Singapore-style noodles. She tried not to smile at the fact that the Doctor already knew her standing Thai order. "Did you find anything out?"

"Well, first thing's first," Jack insisted, sitting down at the desk with his own container. "What did you all do this morning?"

"Jake and I noticed that Lara and Jocelyn both went to the same university," Mickey shared as he deftly maneuvered the chopsticks through his pad Thai. "But the only thing we managed to accomplish was leaving a voicemail requesting their files. Apparently the office is closed all week for Spring break."

"Hopefully we can catch this guy before then and won't actually need it," Jack answered. "Rose, you got anything?"

"Was digging through the interviews, looking for any links I could. So far, nothing." She turned back to the Doctor, who was merrily digging into his basil chicken. "How can you eat that? It's so spicy!"

"Love spicy," the Doctor grinned at her. "You don't know what you're missing."

"No girl is going to want to kiss you now," Rose teased.

The Doctor's smile widened. "Is that right? And what's your favorite flavor for kissing, Detective Inspector?"

Rose felt her cheeks flush and her heart rate pick up at his obvious flirtation. This most certainly had potential. And if there was one thing Rose Tyler could do, it was flirt. She grinned back at him, almost challengingly. "Well, minty-fresh of course."

He was looking at her intently as he reached into his jacket pocket. Slowly, he pulled out a stick of gum and unwrapped it, popping it in his mouth as he began chewing, very deliberately.

Rose's blush deepened. She was quite suddenly overtaken with the desire for a taste-test and was contemplating the best way to get the Doctor somewhere private when Jack cleared his throat loudly, bringing her back to the present.

"_Anyway_," he began, giving Rose a knowing smile. "We found something that might be of interest. Both Lara and Jocelyn's companies used the same outside IT service."

"So, we decided to pay the company a visit," the Doctor picked up. "Just on a hunch, you understand."

"We managed to get a copy of their service reports for both companies. And you'll never guess what we found…"

Jake, Mickey, and Rose had all stopped eating and were practically on the edges of their seats. This could be something, she knew. A real, concrete link between the two victims? With documentation to boot? This could give them their first real break in the case.

And, of course, the two men had just simultaneously taken huge bites of their food (the Doctor first surreptitiously spitting his gum into a napkin) and were blithely chewing away, as if there wasn't essential information just hanging in the air between them.

"What?" Jake finally exclaimed. "What did you find?"

Jack and the Doctor both made huge productions out of chewing their food and swallowing, each taking a sip of their drinks, before continuing. Rose had to concede…they were frustratingly adorable.

"Well, looks like the same guy serviced both girl's computers," Jack told them finally. "Mitchell Grantland. He was out on a run, but we managed to get a phone number and address. They also said he'd be back in tomorrow to get his assignments, so we can always catch him then, too."

"Well done you two," Mickey commended. "Let's finish up here and get a background check run. Then maybe we can go revisit the office, ask around, see if we can get a sense for the guy. Better than sitting behind a desk all day."

"Why don't you and Jake take a little field trip after lunch?" Rose suggested. "I want to keep going on this research, just see if I can dredge anything up. I'll run his background while I'm at it."

"I'd like to stay behind as well," the Doctor offered, throwing Jack a glare when he snorted into his hand. "I want to get a look at Lara's and Jocelyn's computers. If Mitchell worked on them, there might be a log of his activities."

"The IT guys were all through those and they didn't find anything," Jake told him.

"Well," the Doctor sniffed. "I'm _very _good."

Rose snorted. "You're so full of it!"

He grinned at her. "I'm that, too."

Mickey rolled his eyes and began straightening up the mess from lunch. "I expect you can get them out of the evidence lock up. Jake, we've got a lot of ground to cover. We'll come up with a plan in the car. Rose, keep us posted?"

"Yeah, absolutely," she replied. "Be safe?"

"I'm always safe, Rose," Mickey told her, squeezing her shoulder before pulling on his jacket and leaving the room, Jake right at his heels.

* * *

><p>There were many wonderful things about being stuck on Earth, especially knowing that the hiatus was only temporary. Ice cream, for example, was never quite the same anywhere else in the universe. Chips as well, he'd noticed, were always more delicious when eaten with salt and vinegar on a bench by the Thames. And although they were imitated all over the universe, there was never anything like the original, 1960's, mop-topped Beatles.<p>

In fact, the Doctor often found that he was enjoying his time on Earth, just as he'd enjoyed himself during his forced exile in his third incarnation. However, if there was one thing that could sully his entire experience, _one thing _that made him question his existence on this tiny little planet, it was the god-awful _paperwork._

He'd just finished filling out the necessary forms to re-examine the victim's computers and was walking them down to evidence lock-up, mentally grumbling the entire way about inefficient systems and wasting valuable natural resources. Walking by the conference room they generally used for lunch or their team meetings, he had to slow when he caught a glimpse of familiar blonde hair and a fuchsia blouse surrounded by piles of folders, crumpled sheets of lined paper, and several chewed up pen caps. She was so engrossed in her research that she didn't even look up when he leaned casually against the door jamb and silently willed her to grace him with the teasing grin that, as of late, was causing a severe arrhythmia in his hearts.

He was about to offer a greeting when Rose let out a long, frustrated breath. He watched her, bent over the current open file, scanning the data and taking little notes on her yellow legal pad. He smiled slightly as she reached up to rub at her neck, her fingers tangling in the golden strands. She looked tense, and he wondered how well he would be received if he offered to give her a _real _massage. In fact, he was just about to walk in and start blabbering the health benefits of a proper massage when he felt a hand on his arm, jerking him out of the doorway and turning him to face a smiling Jack.

"A word?" he asked, leading him down the hallway.

"Little busy, Jack…" he jerked his arm away and started back in the direction of evidence lock-up. "Got firewalls to crack and the like…can I help you with something?"

"Why don't you just bite the bullet? Ask her to dinner?"

"Sorry?"

"We both know you're crazy about her. Why are you putting yourself through this?"

They had reached the evidence window, giving the Doctor the opportunity to think a bit while the clerks gathered the hard drives. "We've been out to dinner, Jack. Several times, in fact. We've been on car trips, picnics, to a Renaissance fair, out for lunch, for coffee, for donuts…"

Jack smirked at the Doctor. "So then…how long have you two been dating?"

He snorted, ignoring the statement. He grabbed the two computer towers from the clerk and strode purposefully back towards the desks. He sat at Rose's, trying not to think about how intimate it felt to be working in her space and began hooking the first tower up to the monitor.

"You're avoiding the question," Jack said as he plopped down at Mickey's desk, casually kicking up his feet and leaning back as if he hadn't a care in the world.

"We're not _dating_, Jack," the Doctor asked, exasperated, as his fingers flew over the keys. "Dating is such a human construct, anyway. And even if I were planning on…well…acting on my affections towards her, it's completely inappropriate. We are working a case together, a very, _very _important case, and we need to keep clear heads. Yes, I enjoy spending time with her. Maybe if things were different…"

Jack didn't respond, which was a highly unusual behavior for the former Time Agent. He had a response for _everything. _The Doctor turned to his friend and partner to see that Jack was staring at him, eyebrows raised and expression thoughtful.

"Would you like a snapshot for your collection, Jack?" he asked, turning his attention back the screen.

Jack chuckled. "Nah, was just thinking how different you are. You know…from before."

"Regeneration tends to do that to a Time Lord."

"No, I'm serious. I mean, you had Madame de Pompadour pining after you her entire life. You nearly were indefinitely trapped with her in pre-revolutionary France, and you didn't even give her the time of day. All you wanted to do was wallow and be miserable for the rest of your days. Now…well, you're swooning over this DI from London, flirting like crazy, and quite frankly, I've never seen you so happy."

"Guess you had more of an influence on me than you thought," he offered, giving Jack a sidelong grin. "Sometimes can happen that way in regeneration, you may pick up certain characteristics of people you're closest with. Must have gotten a bit of your…_romanticism._"

"Now that's a word for it." Jack smiled back. "It's a good change. Better than…" He put on a poor imitation of a Northern accent. "'…humans decay, you wither and you die. Imagine watching that happen to someone you love. I have to live on, alone.' Sound familiar?"

"Blimey, you have a photographic memory," the Doctor sighed. "What can I say? I suppose I picked up some of your _carpe diem_ attitude. Before? I would have never said a word to Rose. Probably would have just kept my mouth shut and took whatever she was willing to offer me. Now…the idea of _not_ being with her is worse than the idea of losing her one day and her never knowing..." He trailed off with a hard swallow. "...never knowing how I felt about her."

"Oh, Doctor," Jack said softly. "Really?"

"Yeah…"

"So, what's stopping you? There's no fraternization policy in place for independent contractors and detectives. You're not an employee of the Met…there's no rule against you two becoming involved."

The Doctor glanced up from the computer monitor. "You're rather well-versed on the subject…"

Jack grinned cheekily. "I've done my research."

He grinned back briefly before his expression grew weary. He pushed back from the computer long enough to sigh and run his hands over his face. "I dunno, Jack. I mean, we flirt and tease, but if I ever tried to _really _ask her out?" He shuddered. "What if she said no? What if she got so uncomfortable that we couldn't even be friends? She's special, Jack…I was drawn to her the first moment I saw her and…" He trailed off, chuckling as he moved his focus back to the computer. "Blimey, do I sound human. She's making me feel like I'm 150 again, just a big quivering mess of a Time Lord trying to ask the prettiest girl to take a stroll around the Citadel."

"Want some advice?"

"Absolutely not, though I'm sure that won't stop you…"

"Next time you get all nervous around her just think, WWJD?"

"What would Jesus do?" the Doctor asked, confused.

"No, what would JACK do." He smirked.

The Doctor sighed. "So, what you think I'm going to go up to the most beautiful and wonderful woman I've met in 900 years, give her a smile and say," He put on an exaggerated American accent. "You know, Rose, you remind me of my pinky toe. Why my pinky toe? Well, because eventually I'm gonna bang you on every piece of furniture in the house!'?"

"Um…"

The Doctor froze, the blood draining from his face at the familiar voice. He turned the chair around, slowly, hoping against hope that his ears had deceived him for the first time in over nine centuries.

No such luck. Rose stood in front of him, grinning broadly, her tongue caught teasingly between her teeth.

"Am I missing something?"

* * *

><p>"Rosie!" Jack leaped from Mickey's desk and rounded on her. "The Doctor was doing his best impression of me. Not a very impressive impression…" He waggled his eyebrows teasingly at her. "But he tries. Did you find anything?"<p>

"I ran Mitchell's background. Got a couple of ASBOs in his time, for loitering and graffiti, nothing serious. He seemed to clean up his act, though, and nothing recent came up. Seems like he's a model citizen. As far as my research goes, it feels like I'm looking for a needle in a haystack," Rose ran a hand agitatedly through her hair. "Figured I'd get up, stretch my legs, see if you two have had any luck."

"None yet," the Doctor jumped in, his full attention back on the screen. "Though I'm trying to wirelessly connect to the server and check the main tracking software. Big companies like these usually have to monitor their employee's actions on the computers…the data is stored…somewhere…" He glanced up, an almost sheepish expression on his face. "This could actually take me a bit of time…"

"A bit of time?" Rose choked out. "Our IT guys didn't even think of it! Take all the time you need!"

"Just…entertain yourselves for a few minutes…" he told them distractedly, his fingers flying over the keys.

"So, Rose…" Jack began, grinning. "Do you have any Gallifreyian in you?"

Rose blinked at him, confused. "Um…no…?"

His grin widened. "Would you like some?"

"_Jack! _Really?" The Doctor turned to glare at him. "Don't even respond, Rose, it just encourages him. Anyway, I've got access to the files, just need to find the date…" He moved the mouse arrow over to the corresponding folder and scanned the technical code quickly. "Oh…"

"What?" Rose moved to stand behind him, peering at the screen but unable to make anything out of the letters and numbers in front of her. "What does it say?"

"Well, it looks like someone did a small data dump from this computer on the same day Mitchell came to fix it. It looks like they somehow managed to access the employee files and transferred Jocelyn's employee information onto an external thumb drive…that includes address, phone number, and even the times that the computer is logged on."

"Can you find out if there's something similar on Lara's computer?" Rose asked, straightening up as the Doctor quickly shut down the tower, disconnected it from the monitor, and set up the other one. "Because if there is…it'd at least be enough to bring him in for questioning, maybe even to get a warrant to search his place…"

"Gotcha…" he replied, breezing through a similar sequence to access Lara's file. Rose couldn't even hope to follow what he was doing, so instead she focused on watching his long, slender fingers play over the computer keyboard. They were quick and agile, and Rose couldn't help the flush that spread across her cheek at the thought of said fingers doing far more than simply curling gently around hers…

"Ha!" the Doctor exclaimed, jerking her out of her reverie. "Same thing, corresponding with Mitchell's visit. I do believe, Detective Inspector Tyler, that we have ourselves a suspect."

"Oh, fantastic!" Rose beamed, moving over to rub at the Doctor's shoulders affectionately. "Well done, you! I'm going to call Mickey, have him and Jake pick Mitchell up and bring him in for questioning. I've got a search warrant to write…can you work on getting this evidence on paper? Maybe write out a rough translation of what all this code means, highlight the important information?"

"On it, Detective," Jack grinned, grabbing the free tower from next to the Doctor and began hooking it up to Mickey's computer.

Rose couldn't help her next motion. So overjoyed that there was finally a break on the case with more than a whole day to spare before the killer's arbitrary deadline, she wrapped her arms around the Doctor's neck and bent down to hug him tightly. She pressed her cheek against his, the Doctor moving into her touch with a small, contented noise.

"You're amazing," she whispered, hugging him tight and kissing him gently on the cheek. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

He turned his head, beaming, their faces only inches apart. "Oh, I'm sure you'd puzzle it out eventually…my brilliant Rose," he murmured the last few words so tenderly that Rose's breath actually caught.

He reached up, tucking a strand of Rose's hair behind her ear, utter adoration evident in his warm brown gaze. She was positive she was mirroring the sentiment back to him, and suddenly the myriad of reasons she had for not making a go of it with this amazing man were completely forgotten.

She licked her lips, his eyes turning dark as they immediately followed the motion. She squeezed her arms infinitesimally tighter around his neck, and was just starting to pull him closer when Jack piped up annoyingly from Mickey's desk.

"I've got this all set up, Doc…you mind working your magic?"

The Doctor sighed as Rose's arms fell away from him and she stood, straightening her blouse and hair in the process. "Yeah, I got it."

He turned to Rose and gave her a small smile. "You need me for anything?"

"Not for work, no," she grinned teasingly, loving when his own smile blossomed into a full-on megawatt grin. "I've got to get this warrant written and signed. Keep me posted?"

"Yeah, you too." He reached out and squeezed her hand gently before turning his attention back to Jack. Rose sighed and headed back towards the conference room she'd claimed as her own, refocusing her thoughts onto the case. She resolved to get through the next few days before even remotely entertaining any possibilities between her and the Doctor. They had a case to solve, and she needed to stay focused so no one else got hurt. She rounded the corner into the room, plopped herself down at the table, and promptly got to work.


	10. Chapter 10

**MANY MANY thanks to scifigeekgirl and timelord1 for unsticking me so brilliantly. I couldn't have done this chapter without them! Also, thank you SO MUCH for all your amazing reviews! I****f I haven't responded yet, I'm doing that as soon as I get a working power cord for the laptop! Enjoy! :-D**

Rose practically slammed the door of the interrogation room, letting out an aggravated sigh and resisting the urge to punch through the glass. Mitchell was _impossible_. It had taken long enough to track him down, their search warrant was tied up until morning, and all he was doing was loudly proclaiming his innocence. He wouldn't talk any further, only reassuring them of his faith that the truth would prevail. Mickey and Jake had tried to play the "tough cops," finally sending Rose in when they had no luck.

She had calmly explained to the young man what serious trouble he was in, and how much she wanted to help him. Despite her most charming smiles and most innocent hair flips, he refused to talk. Though by the way he was watching her, eyes tracking her every movement, Rose knew she at least had made _some _impression.

Rose moved into the small viewing room on the other side of the two-way mirror. The Doctor was there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, staring everywhere in the room except at her.

"He's not budging," she told him, more than a bit confused as to the Doctor's behavior. "Something wrong?"

"Wrong?" he squeaked, his gaze finally settling on her. "No, no, nothing's wrong? Why does something always have to be wrong?"

"Well, for starters, your voice has gone all squeaky," Rose teased. "And second, you're barely looking at me."

The Doctor scoffed, pushing away from the wall but quickly finding there were very few places he could go to avoid the conversation. He turned to the small coffee cart and poured himself a mug of the stale brew. "I'm not...anything, Rose. I just wanted some cream...some coffee…with cream." He glanced around at the cart, heaving a sigh of disappointment. "No cream. Look at that, will you? There should be cream. Who drinks coffee without cream?"

"Doctor?"

"Think about it, Rose," he began, spinning around to face her. "Say you find the perfect cream for your coffee…that gorgeous flavor that compliments your…palette in every way and suddenly, you can't get enough of it!"

Rose tilted her head, gazing at him quizzically. "What, like French Vanilla? Are we out of French Vanilla? I'll let Mickey know…"

"Nononono...just listen to me. Say you've got this perfect cream, right? And it's...in your refrigerator...and you haven't even _tasted_ it yet. Not properly. You've just...opened the cap and smelled it."

"Doctor, I don't-"

"But then, one day, you are going for a walk, just to get some file folders, and you see someone else is tasting your cream. And you can't be mad at your cream, it was just doing its job. And when that cream just bats its eyelashes and looks all delicious...well, you can't help but be a little stroppy that someone else is trying to get the first taste before you've even gotten to it!"

Realization clicked in Rose's mind. "Oh, I get it."

"You do?"

"Yeah, just next time write your name on whatever it is and nobody'll touch it."

The Doctor groaned, burying his face in his hands. "No, Rose, that's not…"

Rose smiled softly, finally starting to understand what he was trying to say. She pulled his hands away from his face and met his gaze. "Doctor," she began slowly. "Are you saying I'm the cream in your refrigerator?"

He blinked at her before a grin spread across his face. "Rose, I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about."

Rose sighed, even though the smile didn't wane from her face. She turned on the charm, tucking her tongue teasingly between her teeth and feeling a little thrill as the Doctor's eyes zeroed in on the tiny bit of flesh. He went to put his mug down, gaze still transfixed on her mouth, and Rose had to stifle her giggle at the sound of the mug missing the small table and falling into the trash can next to it. She reached up, cupping his cheek, brushing a feather-light kiss near the corner of his mouth.

"You're adorable when you're jealous," she whispered.

She pulled back fractionally, her heart rate accelerating when she noticed his eyes shut tight and his chest rising and falling with his slightly labored breathing. "I'm not jealous," he whispered, leaning in slowly. "I'm…"

Rose closed her eyes, standing on her tiptoes and tilting her head. The entire world melted away and time slowed down as they inched closer. Her pulse was thudding in her ears, and heat spread through her body when she felt the Doctor's cool hands grasp onto her waist. They were so close she could feel his quick breaths fluttering against her lips.

When he let out an almost reverent whisper of her name, his mouth brushing hers, every bit of common sense flew out of Rose's head. She snaked her arms around his neck and knew, with one word from him, he could ravish her right there, against the small coffee cart, in the middle of the station, with their lead suspect sitting quietly one thin pane of glass away.

"COFFEE!"

The door to the viewing room crashed open. They broke apart so abruptly that Rose stumbled, the Doctor's quick reflexes the only thing keeping her from tumbling to the floor.

Jack, looking rumpled and exhausted, raised an eyebrow at the pair of them. She could feel her cheeks flaming, the Doctor had her pressed tightly to him, and they were both breathing rapidly. It wouldn't take Jack long to figure out what he'd interrupted.

Instead of commenting, Jack simply coughed and strolled over to the coffee service as if nothing had happened. "This a fresh pot? Don't answer that, I don't think I want to hear it. I'm so caffeine-deprived that I don't even know what's going on. Huh, look at that…someone threw away a perfectly good mug. Who does that?"

"Impeccable timing as usual, Harkness," the Doctor muttered as Jack poured himself a mug. Rose offered the Doctor an apologetic look as she detangled from him. The sad little smile he gave her in return did absolutely nothing for her resolve.

"Hmmm?" Jack replied vaguely, dumping two sugars into the mug and stirring. "What? No luck with Grantland?'

"None," Rose replied. "Tried every trick in the book, too."

"Everything but a striptease…" the Doctor murmured petulantly.

Rose's jaw dropped in shock, and she punched him hard in the arm in retaliation.

"Oi!" he exclaimed, rubbing his bicep. "Blimey, you pack a powerful punch."

"Watch it," she warned before turning back to Jack. "Do you mind giving it a go?"

Jack grinned flirtatiously. "You wanna play a little good cop, bad cop, Inspector?"

"Jack," the Doctor warned in a low voice.

Rose stared at the Doctor, her face breaking out into a teasing smile. "Don't wait too long to put your name on that creamer, Doctor…"

Her smile widened at the gob smacked look on his face. "I'll see you in there, Jack." She left the tiny chamber and headed back into the interrogation room, just in time to hear Jack's voice close behind.

"Oh, Doctor…speaking of creamer, we're out of French Vanilla."

* * *

><p>An hour later, they were still nowhere. Despite Jack pouring on the charm and smiles and being his usual self, Mitchell had refused to talk. Rose pressed her fingertips to her brow, trying to ward off the headache she could feel coming at her like a freight train.<p>

"Captain Harkness," Rose muttered. "May I speak with you outside?"

"Certainly, Inspector," he replied, still maintaining his sunny demeanor, despite proclaiming his distaste for the coffee and pouring it into a small bin early in the conversation.

"Give us a moment please, Mr. Grantland," she told their suspect, who nodded mutely and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He was a younger man, in his early thirties, and heavyset. His skin had the pallor of someone who spent most of his time indoors, his aviator glasses were horribly unflattering and looked as though they would be more in place on his great-aunt than on a young man, and his hairline was beginning to recede.

Rose had to chuckle. She hoped the Doctor didn't seriously think there was _any _competition.

She and Jack had moved out of the room, the Doctor immediately leaving the viewing room to join them. Jack ran a hand through his thick, dark hair and huffed impatiently.

"This guy is a piece of work," he said. "I don't think he's spent more than a few hours outside his parents' basement in his entire adult life."

"Be fair," the Doctor replied. "We know he has a job. That's a few hours at least…"

"He's stubborn, I'll give him that," Rose said. "Refused an attorney, too. Clearly he thinks he doesn't have anything to worry about."

"He's hiding something," the Doctor told her. "That's obvious. To me, at least. I don't know what without touching him. Hate to violate his thoughts, though…even in the name of justice." He shuddered.

"You want to give it a go?" Rose asked. "Just…talk to him? See if you can pull something out of him we couldn't? Maybe if he thinks you could prove he's innocent he'd be a bit more chatty."

"Well, couldn't hurt, I suppose," he replied, peering into the room. "Honestly, Rose…I'm not so sure. He doesn't really look the serial killer type."

Rose gave him a long-suffering look. "Well, no, I suppose not. I mean, he's not dressed up like a clown, nor is he wearing a mask, or, you know, a T-shirt that says 'Hey, I'm a Serial Killer!' Bloody idiot males."

The Doctor sighed heavily, rubbing his hands over his face in frustration. "Now, I'm going to let that one slide because it's been a very, _very _long day. But what I meant was, _personality-wise, _he doesn't seem to fit the profile."

"Profiles aren't always accurate," Jack countered. "Though if you ever say that to Janice, make sure I'm at least in another time zone…"

"Don't blame you. I once told her reverse psychology was not an effective interrogation strategy. I got a half hour lecture on behavior modification and classic conditioning…complete with hand puppets," Rose sighed. "Not a time I want to relive. You two ready?"

She led Jack and the Doctor back into the interrogation room, noticing Mitchell sit up a little straighter when she came through the door. The Doctor sniffed, irritated, and Rose had to fight to keep her game face from turning into a fully-fledged grin as she crossed her arms over her chest and stared down her suspect.

"Hello!" the Doctor cut in, plopping down into the chair and propping his trainers up on the table. "I'm the Doctor!"

Mitchell stared at the Doctor, completely dumbfounded as he sat there, grinning cheerfully until Jack cleared his throat.

The Doctor looked around. "Oh! Are you waiting for me to talk then? All right, Mitchell, is it? Mind if I call you Mitch?"

"Um…" he replied, his eyes drifting over to Rose, as if seeking permission to answer. "Actually…"

"Right! Mitch it is," he turned to Rose and grinned. She had to hide her smile in her hand. "Have you met Detective Inspector Tyler? Brilliant woman, and between you and me," He glanced around conspiratorially before sliding his feet to the floor, dropping his voice, and leaning forward on the table. "A bit pretty…don't you think? The _crème de la crème_…"

Rose had to cough to cover the giggle that escaped her lips.

"I love detecting, don't you?" the Doctor continued casually, leaning back in his chair. "Good old fashioned detective work. Oh, it's brilliant. I have learned so much, working with this team. All the tricks they use…verbal interrogation, lie detector tests, visual cues, reverse psychology, all this is just…_fascinating_. Just between you and me, Mitch," the Doctor leaned forward once more, and Rose watched with great interest as Mitchell mirrored his posture. "I've heard the police force bring in _psychics _nowadays. Isn't that wild? You know, if you believe in that sort of thing. They say they can pluck the thoughts right out of your head! Can you imagine? Right out of your head without you even realizing it! Complete Vulcan mind meld…minus the Vulcan, that is. Vulcans won't have contact with humans until the late 55th Century, after all. But just think about it…behind that mirror," he gestured to the two-way mirror and Mitchell glanced over, his face growing pale. "There could be a psychic detective, working his way little by little into your brain as we're sitting here having a lovely chat and neither of us would have a clue what was going on!"

Rose watched in disbelief as Mitchell gulped. Beads of sweat were forming on his brow. It was the first change in demeanor she'd seen since they brought him in. She chanced a glance at Jack, who was grinning in delight.

"Then again," the Doctor began, reaching back to scratch at the nape of his neck. "I suppose the psychic could be sitting…I dunno…right in this room? Even…right across from you? Just watching and waiting for you to slip up, to give something away." He stared at Mitchell, and Rose had to stifle a shudder as the entire room seemed to crackle with energy. Contained in that small cement room, the air seemed to suddenly be charged, as though a thunderstorm was going to blow through at a moment's notice. The Doctor had told her, weeks ago, how some species had called him "The Oncoming Storm." She'd laughed and told him that his head was too big, but she could see now the term was disturbingly apt.

She also had to dampen down the desire to spread him out on the table and snog him silly.

The Doctor had leaned back in his chair once again, trainers up on the table, staring intently at the sweaty, nervous young man across from him. Very swiftly, he swung his feet down as the legs of his chair hit the floor with a loud BANG, causing everyone in the room to jump. He leaned forward once again on the table, smiling at Mitchell. "Then again," he began in a low voice. "Maybe that sort of thing only works if you believe in it. What do you think, Mitch?"

Mitchell had grown very pale, his chest rising and falling rapidly with his labored breaths. His eyes darted around the room, and he removed his glasses briefly to rub at his eyes. "Doctor," he said. "I swear…I didn't mean for all this to happen…"

Rose started, hurrying over to the table and sitting in the free chair next to the Doctor, ensuring that the recorder was still running. "I'll have to ask you once more, Mr. Grantland…do you wish to retain counsel?"

"No," he replied, swallowing hard. "No, I…I'll tell you. I…if I said anything I'd lose my job, but since everyone's going to find out anyway…" he trailed off. "I _didn't _hurt those girls, you gotta believe me. I met them, I worked on their computers, I thought they were _gorgeous_," he laughed a little. "And I didn't think they would ever go for someone like me. So, I…hacked into their personnel files and got their addresses and phone numbers…even their internet and computer history, just so we had something to talk about, you know? I know it was wrong, I'm gonna lose my job and I'll _never _get outta my parent's basement," he buried his face in his hands. "But I swear, I didn't kill anyone! I don't even usually leave the house after I get home from work! My mom will tell you! She'll vouch for me!"

"Hold on," Rose asked. "Mr. Grantland…you're saying that you used your position as a technical support representative to…get a girlfriend?"

"I know it was wrong, Inspector," he replied. "But I have a type, you know? And my type…they'd never go for a guy like me. They go for guys like you, Doctor," Mitchell gestured, and the Doctor tipped his head, preening a bit under the praise. "But please, believe me…I didn't kill anyone!"

"Mitchell," Rose told him gently. "I believe you, but you have to understand how bad all of this looks. We're gonna need some hard evidence if we're going to let you go. Do you have an alibi? Something tangible?"

"I can get the log from my Second Life account…"

"Hmmm, a friend could have logged in for you," Jack finally piped up from across the room. "Might be a no go…"

Rose was about to see what they could do about getting Michell's mother in to give a statement when the door to the room burst open. Mickey barged in, looking stressed. "Rose," he began. "Doctor, Jack, let this guy go and get up here now."

"What, Mickey?" Rose asked, rising from the chair. "What's happened?"

"There's been another murder," Mickey said. "You're free to go, Mr. Grantland, with apologies, thank you for your time…"

"What do you mean, another murder?" Rose asked as the group rushed through the station. "It's can't be…the deadline's not until…" She glanced down at her watch and her heart sank.

It was 12:35 in the morning.

Her hands began to shake and she slid them through her hair in an attempt to hide it. She ought to have known that the Doctor, eerily in tune with her moods and emotions, would notice something. He came up behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders and rubbing gently. "You all right?"

Rose breathed in and out, calming down and using the Doctor's cool touch to center herself. Her hands stopped shaking and she turned to face him, the last of her anxiety draining as their eyes met.

"I am," she said, covering his hands with hers. "Let's catch this bastard."


	11. Chapter 11

**We are winding down on this fic! Maybe 3-4 more chapters left! Thank you all for sticking with it! I'm completely overwhelmed by the response to this story. THANK YOU THANK YOU!**

**Hope no one decides to hate me at the end of this...**

The next couple of days passed by in a blur of exhaustion for Rose. She had lost track of how many hours it had been since she'd last slept, showered, or changed clothes. There was too much to do, too many questions to answer for her to even begin thinking about taking a break.

They had notified and interviewed the family of the latest victim, a young administrator named Diane Preston. As usual, she was blonde, had stayed late at work to help her boss put the finishing touches on a merger proposal, and was walking home when she was attacked. The ring was acquired quickly, but it turned out that trying decode the message was more difficult than they anticipated.

Janice had come to one of their meetings, explaining why the killer had decided to change the rules on them. "It's a control thing," she'd said, her hair already back to its normal dark tone. "He wants to remind you who is in charge. Maybe he thought you were getting too close, maybe he's just following a whim. Whatever it is, he did this with the first set of victims as well. The change isn't impossible to figure out, in fact it will probably be rather simple. It's more symbolic…a reminder that he can make you dance."

The Doctor had gone stonily silent at this, his face cold, and he had redoubled his efforts with a vengeance. Rose had buried herself in research. She knew there had to be a link between the victims. Finding the commonality would bring them straight to the killer. She just had to find it. As soon as the words stopped blurring on the pages, and as soon as her eyelids stopped drifting shut of their own accord, she'd be able to figure it out…

* * *

><p>It was nearing two in the morning, and though the Doctor didn't generally <em>need <em>sleep, he certainly felt weary. Here he was, an alien genius, fluent in over five billion languages, and he couldn't figure out this stupid code. A dull ache was building in his temples, and he knew he needed a break before he ended up regenerating from frustration.

He had a feeling Rose was still somewhere in the station, as she almost always said goodbye to him or sent a text to let him know where she'd be. He hadn't heard from her in hours. The itch under his skin, born from a lack of contact with her, had started becoming more pronounced as of late, and he decided that a trip by her desk would be a far better respite than anything else he could think of.

He walked through the nearly empty station, and nearly had a panic attack at the sight of a familiar blonde head face down on her desk. He immediately pulled out his sonic and jogged over, scanning Rose frantically and breathing a sigh of relief when the results came back that she was simply sleeping.

As his hearts resumed their normal pace, he took in the sight before him. He'd never seen Rose asleep. She looked so utterly peaceful and relaxed, such a difference from the past few long, tedious days of hard investigating. He was fairly certain Rose hadn't slept more than a few hours since they'd brought Mitchell in for questioning, over forty eight hours prior.

He knew Rose would never go home voluntarily when there was so much to do in the station, but her exhaustion wouldn't do anyone a bit of good. Feeling incredibly guilty for interrupting her brief respite, he gently brushed a lock of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. Her lovely brown eye fluttered open and she gave him a sweet, sleepy smile, whispering his name and bringing a hand to his cheek.

His hearts swelled with affection for her. "Hey, sweetheart," he murmured, stroking her hair gently. "You'll get a crick in your neck if you sleep at your desk.

"What?" she muttered, head popping up. "Oh, bollocks, I can't believe I fell asleep! I have so much to do…"

"Rose," he interrupted gently. "You running yourself into the ground isn't going to do anyone any good. I'll take you home, you can sleep for a few hours, and then you can come back as soon as you're ready."

Rose shook her head, still trying to blink the sleep out of her eyes. "No, I can't…let me just get some coffee…"

The Doctor slid his hand over hers and squeezed. "I promise, this will all still be here in the morning."

She met his gaze, her sleepy brown eyes having trouble focusing. She yawned hugely, then seemed surprised that she was capable of such a noise. He couldn't help but grin at her.

He could tell the moment she gave in. Her shoulders slumped and she rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. "All right," she conceded, allowing the Doctor to pull her up from her chair. "Four hours, not a minute more, do you understand? I'm back here at seven thirty tomorrow. Don't you dare try to stop me."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he replied, giving her a grin. "C'mon, I've got the Echo in the garage."

* * *

><p>"You don't have to walk me up," Rose grumbled sleepily as they climbed the flight of stairs to her flat. "I'm perfectly capable, thanks."<p>

"You fell asleep in the car," the Doctor replied, steadying her with a hand against the small of her back. "You're in heels and live on the second floor. I don't want to take any chances."

"I know how to climb stairs."

"Blimey, you're cranky."

"Someone woke me up!"

The Doctor sighed as they reached her door. She slid her key in the lock and let them in, immediately tossing her bag onto the entryway table, slipping off her shoes, and plopping onto the large, plush black sofa.

"Love your flat," the Doctor murmured, taking a seat next to her and trying not to hyperventilate at the way she instantly curled into him. "Very nice. You have excellent taste in…seating."

Rose sputtered out a laugh, pulling her feet up and resting her head against his chest. His arm automatically came around her shoulders, his cheek resting against the top of her head. "I should go," he murmured.

"Don't," Rose replied, curling tighter against him. "Just…stay for a bit? Talk to me. Tell me about your favorite place in the universe."

_Right here comes to mind, _threatened to slip out of his mouth. Instead, he swallowed the words and pulled her tighter into his side. "Well, did I tell you about the time Jack and I ended up in 1869 instead of 1969? Met Queen Victoria and a werewolf all in the same day!"

* * *

><p>The next thing the Doctor knew he was blinking awake to sunlight streaming through Rose's vertical blinds. He pulled his head away from the back of the sofa, the hand that had been resting in Rose's hair immediately coming up to rub at the crick in his neck. His time sense informed him that it was nearing six-thirty in the morning, and he couldn't believe that he'd managed to sleep soundly, sitting straight up, for four solid hours when he normally had to make a real, conscious decision to sleep at all.<p>

Rose's head was resting in his lap, her breathing slow and even. He hated to wake her, but he knew she'd want to be at the station as early as possible. He stroked her hair and whispered her name. She opened her eyes and looked confused for a moment before glancing up at the Doctor and smiling sleepily.

"Did you fall asleep?" she murmured, her voice low and raspy.

The Doctor's hearts clenched as he looked at her, cheeks flushed and hair mussed. She was rumpled and adorable, and looking at him with so much affection that his breath caught.

"Yeah," he managed to croak out, still stroking her hair. "Do…you want me to wait for you? We could go into the station together?"

Rose smiled at him brilliantly. "Yeah, that sounds…great. Give me half an hour, I'll be ready to go. Make yourself at home. There's tea? Infusion of free radicals and tannins?"

He grinned at her affectionately. "I'll put on the kettle."

She placed a gentle kiss on his cheek and rose, stretching her limbs and shutting herself in the bathroom. The Doctor was suddenly struck dizzy at the sense that, very soon, something similar to this horribly domestic scene could become a new norm for him.

Surprisingly enough, that thought did not terrify him as much as it should have.

* * *

><p>They walked through the station doors at seven-thirty on the nose, Rose clutching a tray of coffee. Their first stop was her dad's office to check in and drop off his large bold roast, already doctored with Splenda and skim. He wasn't in, so they left the paper cup on his desk and immediately headed towards hers, Mickey's, and Jake's workstations. Computers were on and papers were scattered all over the surfaces, but her partners were nowhere in sight. She looked at the Doctor and shrugged.<p>

"Must be in the conference room," she muttered, turning on her heel and immediately headed towards the room they'd claimed as their own early on in the investigation. When they came through the door, Rose's jaw dropped at the sight before her.

Jake, Mickey, Jack and her father were all in the room, talking jovially with the last person she'd expected to see in the world . Her mother was standing there like she owned the place, dishing out great heaping spoonfuls of eggs, pancakes, and bacon from large silver containers. She handed a plate off to Jack with a wink and a flirty smile.

He gave Jackie his own movie-star grin in return. "You ever get tired of this old fool, you come looking for me, darling, you hear?"

"Oh, stop," Jackie swatted at him playfully before looking towards the doorway and finally noticing her daughter and the Doctor. "Rose! Hello, love! Fancy breakfast?"

Rose glanced nervously at the Doctor, who raised an eyebrow in return. "Mum, what are you doing here?"

The Doctor's eyes widened in understanding and, Rose couldn't be certain, but it seemed a bit of color drained from his face. Jackie came over to wrap Rose in a hug. "You poor dears have been living off takeaway for weeks now. I just thought you'd appreciate a home-cooked meal is all." She turned to the Doctor and gave him a suspicious look. "And who's this?"

"Oh, right, this is Dr. John Smith," Rose introduced. "Jack's partner. One of the consultants on the case. Doctor, this is my mum, Jackie Tyler."

Jackie's eyes widened in recognition. The Doctor visibly gulped before putting on a smile and grasping Jackie's hand. "Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Tyler. Thanks for all this, it smells delicious, absolutely incredible-"

"Did you two arrive together, then?" she interrupted, crossing her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow.

"Mum!" Rose hissed, grabbing Jackie by the elbow and steering her back towards the food. "We'll talk later. This looks amazing. Mind making me a plate?"

Jackie nodded, giving her daughter a small smile and heaping food onto a paper plate for her. "'Course, sweetheart. Blimey, you look like you could use a good meal…you've easily dropped five pounds since I saw you last."

"I told her the same thing just the other day!" the Doctor sidled up next to Rose, nudging her playfully. "I said, 'Rose, would you eat a bloody chip once in a while?' She's like skin and bones, look at her!"

Jackie laughed and immediately began filling a plate for the Doctor. Rose grinned as she spooned on an extra few slices of bacon and gave him the nicest pancakes in the batch. "Doctor, I think you and I are going to get along just fine."

* * *

><p>Despite the rather excellent start to the day, it passed in much the same manner as its predecessors. In fact, Rose did nothing but run background checks and fumble through research for the duration of the day. She'd consulted crime scene photos, read through a million interviews, and skipped lunch to spread out on the break room sofa to try and nap. Nothing was coming together to form a viable theory in her brain, and it was incredibly frustrating.<p>

It was nearing midnight, and practically everyone working the case was still in the station. Rose sighed and rubbed her eyes, deciding that a break for reasonably good coffee was in order, and she made her way into the conference room to see if the Doctor wanted to join her.

He was working on the code once again, looking at the little baggie that held the latest ring with barely-veiled contempt. His brow was furrowed, he was surrounded by pieces of crumpled up paper, and Rose's heart clenched at the obvious frustration on his face.

"Hey, you," she greeted with as much cheer as she could muster. She perched on the corner of the table closet to him. "You look like you could strangle something right about now."

The Doctor sighed heavily and ran his hands through his hair. "I can't figure out how he's doing this. Everything I try comes out complete jibberish. It doesn't make any sense."

Rose rubbed his shoulder. "You'll get it, don't worry." She chuckled a bit. "You know, this reminds me of something my dad used to say. When I was a kid, I always wanted to get to the prize at the bottom of the cereal box right away, and Mum wouldn't let me. She always told me to be patient, and we had to eat the whole box first. I _hated _the waiting. Then one day, my dad pulled me aside, turned the box upside down and said, 'Sometimes you just need to turn something on its side, and then you get the prize.' It was brilliant! I never forgot that. Maybe that's what's wrong…you need to look at it from a different direction is all. What do you think?"

The Doctor stared at her for a moment and her breath caught. Once in a while, he gave her these looks of barely-concealed wonder, like her entire existence was just completely baffling and unfathomable to him. Then, slowly, a grin began to spread across his face, lighting up his weary features and making him look practically _jubilant._

He stood up and, without warning, wrapped Rose in his arms and twirled her around, laughing joyously. "Rose Tyler!" he exclaimed, pressing chaste kisses all over her face between each word. "You. Are. BRILLIANT!"

Rose started giggling, but was cut short when he abruptly pressed his lips to hers.

The bolt that shot through her whole body at the contact took her by surprise, and she froze. In that second, the Doctor had managed to cup her cheek and let out a delightful, needy whimper as he took her bottom lip between both of his.

Instantly, the floodgates opened and Rose moaned almost embarrassingly loudly into his mouth, working her fingers into his hair and pulling his face closer. His grip on her waist tightened and he pressed their bodies flush against one another. Rose was lost. She completely surrendered to the feel of his lips on hers, his tongue dipping expertly into her mouth as her hands settled around his neck.

The passage of time meant nothing to her. They could have been kissing for seconds or hours, she had no idea. When they finally broke apart, the Doctor's eyes blinking open slowly and his mouth curving into a grin as he whispered her name, Rose's knees wobbled dangerously. The Doctor had to press her tighter against him, attempting to look concerned but really only accomplishing looking smug.

"Did I make you weak in the knees, Inspector Tyler?" he murmured, dipping back for another gentle press of lips.

Rose giggled. "Might have done. Might just be I need a coffee fix..."

The Doctor growled playfully, silencing her laughter with more light, gentle kisses. "I can't believe we finally did this. I've wanted to for..."

"Forever," Rose murmured, pressing her forehead against his and playing with the short hairs on the back of his neck. "Feels like I've wanted to forever."

"So what's stopping you?" he murmured, closing his eyes against her touch.

"Hmmm...wasn't there something..." she whispered as she closed the distance between them once more.

The continued their slow, leisurely exploration of one another, gradually growing bolder as their kisses grew deeper and more heated. The Doctor was soon backing her up against the table, and Rose let out a breathy moan as she felt the evidence of his desire against her. She was ready, she wanted this more than anything. Nothing was going to stop them now.

"YES! WHOO HOO! IN YOUR FACE!"

Reality broke into their lust-fogged world at the sound of Jack's voice outside the room. They both turned just in time to see him moonwalk across the floor, catching small snippets of a little "Oh, yeah! Oh, yeah!" song he seemed to be making up as he went along.

Rose turned to the Doctor, grinning at him, her face hot. "Oh, right...work."

He grinned back, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips before moving a few steps away. His smile turned heated as Rose smoothed down her hair and adjusted her clothes.

"Keep looking at me like that and we're gonna christen this room in front of everyone."

"You say that like it's a problem."

Rose grinned. "I'm going to go get coffee. Keep working here. The faster we finish this the faster we can focus on...other things."

The Doctor's gaze darkened, and Rose felt a thrill run through her. "I'll hold you to that, Inspector."

Rose grinned and pressed one last kiss to his lips. "Let me know when you have something, yeah? I'll be back in a bit."

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

><p>The Doctor turned back to the conference room, unable to wipe the ridiculous grin off his face. He was exceedingly grateful for his massive brain, allowing him to focus on several subjects at once. The code was reversed, flipped upside down. Instead of the number of words from the <em>top <em>of the page, it was from the _bottom _of the page. He was able to mentally flip through the current edition of the OED, translate the code in his head, and still remember the exact feel of Rose's lips on his.

However, an odd sense of foreboding was washing through him with every line he decoded. He gradually turned his full focus on the words in front of him and nearly keeled over when they lay fully-translated on the page:

_The once was a man of cunning and wit,_

_ Who challenged the mystic who emerged from the mist,_

_ When a maiden he found,_

_ Who would not be bound,_

_ Upon his rose, death placed his kiss_

_ Three Days…_

The Doctor immediately paled. He read the verse again, the idea slowly sinking in that the _mystic _was indeed himself and _his Rose _was…well…his Rose.

And only three days this time. The Doctor swore colorfully in his native tongue and checked his watch. It was after midnight already, the third day after they'd found the last victim. The bastard was still trying to show them who was in charge by changing the rules, keeping them on their toes. His hearts began speeding up in panic as a million worst-case scenarios ran through his head…

Very suddenly, he was accosted with one so vivid he nearly cried out in agony at the sight of it.

_Rose was lying in an alley, leg contorted unnaturally…her eyes were closed, her body still…a shadowy figure bent over her unmoving form and slipped a thin band onto her left middle finger…_

As soon as the vision cut off, the Doctor was on his feet and headed towards the lounge. He had to warn Rose not to go out alone. As long as she stayed in the station or was out in a group, she would be fine. The idea of something happening to her…he had to stop and steady himself against the wall as a wave of emotion threatened to overtake him.

Breathing deeply, he found his way to the lounge, thundering in with a warning already on his lips. He felt his hearts sink as he scanned the room and found no sign of her. No coffee was brewing, she wasn't curled up on the sofa, her shoes weren't even haphazardly tossed in a corner somewhere, as she was wont do to.

He fought down the panic that was rising in his chest. He left the room, passing by her desk on the way over and not seeing her anywhere. He spotted Mickey and Jake talking with one of the PC's on night duty, and he jogged over as fast as he dared.

"Have you seen Rose?" he asked without preamble. "She said she was grabbing a coffee…"

"Yeah, she headed out about ten minutes ago," Mickey answered nonchalantly. "She knows this all-night café that brews the good stuff…"

"WHAT?! And you LET HER?" the Doctor practically roared, pushing past him and pulling out his mobile, frantically dialing Rose's number and swearing once more when it rolled over to voicemail.

"Come on…come on…" he muttered, dialing once again and practically throwing the offending device against the wall when her bright voice instructed him to leave a message.

"Why shouldn't we have let her?" Jake asked. "Doctor, what's going on?"

"The ring…" he told them, dialing Jack. "Jack, get over here…we have to find Rose…I translated the ring and as soon as I did, I got a glimpse of a possible future…"

Jake and Mickey both paled as the implications of what he was saying washed over them. "Okay, we have to move," Mickey began. "Anyone know where this café is?"

"There's no _time,_" the Doctor thundered, pulling on his coat as Jack came into view and stared at him questioningly. "We'll go ahead. I'll try to…connect…something…I don't know! Just…get out here as soon as you can! Jack, come on!"

* * *

><p>He grinned as she came into his line of sight. She was even prettier than he remembered, all dressed up in her nice little suit and heels. He felt a thrill run through him as he considered what he was about to do. She would be his ultimate conquest. He would cripple the establishment with a single blow.<p>

_Well…multiple blows… _he thought, grin widening at his own cleverness.

He would render both the Chief and the psychic completely useless, paralyzed with grief. He would beat them…_again._

She certainly was lovely, this Rose, especially with that dreamy little smile permanently stuck on her face. She was walking as if she barely felt her feet touch the ground. Floating on air…like a woman in love. As she walked under a street light, the beams reflected like a halo on her head, turning her locks practically golden.

What a shame it would be to get so much blood in that pretty blonde hair…


	12. Chapter 12

**Here we are! I never expected such a vehement response to the last chapter! Hopefully we're all okay with the resolution. Enjoy!**

**Many thanks to my AMAZING Beta Gals, I owe them so much for unsticking me over and over again on this chapter!**

It was half an hour before the Doctor heard the sounds of sirens in the distance. He shouted for Jack to follow and they took off at full speed, barreling through the streets while the Doctor silently prayed to deities he didn't believe in that Rose was fine, that these sirens were just a routine call. He vowed to attend church, Temple, Mosque, even a mad soapbox preacher in Hyde Park every Sunday if that's what it took to ensure Rose was unharmed.

His hearts began clenching in panic when the lights of the ambulances and squad cars came into view. His pulse thundered in his ears and he nearly fell to his knees when he saw a young PC putting up the lurid yellow crime scene tape.

"Oh, God," Jack choked out from behind him. "Doctor…Rose…"

"I _know_!" he snapped, his own voice sounding far away, even to his own ears. As he approached the scene, he scanned the area…displaced garbage, a dumpster askew, officers milling around…his hearts sank when he saw Mickey and Jake, looking stoic and inspecting the area near the dumpster. Jack pushed past him and jogged over. He was about to call out to them when his eyes fell on the ambulance that had pulled up to the scene.

She was all he could see. He ducked under the crime scene tape, ignoring the protests of a nearby PC. His entire being was flooded with _her, _and he very nearly cried out in relief as she came into sharper focus.

Rose was sitting up in the back of the ambulance, a paramedic fitting a brace on her ankle. She looked weary, even as she very seriously gave instructions to the officer standing outside the doors. She was dirty, her cheek was swollen, she was covered in angry red scrapes, and was holding a cold pack against her temple.

She had never looked more beautiful to him.

The PC she'd been instructing nodded briefly and walked towards Mickey, Jake, and Jack. He watched as Rose sighed and winced, her free hand coming up to grasp at her ribs. He immediately jogged over and had to choke back his cry of relief when Rose met his gaze, a luminous smile stretching across her face. She croaked out his name and reached out a hand to him.

He could barely speak against the lump in his throat. He hopped into the ambulance and immediately knelt next to the stretcher, taking her outstretched hand between both of his. He brushed a kiss over her knuckles and brought her palm to his cheek, breathing deeply to calm the residual panicked rhythm of his hearts.

"Hello," Rose told him, stroking her thumb over his cheekbone.

The Doctor chuckled weakly. "Hello."

"Been busy?"

"Well, you know…same old, same old…" He brought one of his hands up to cup her cheek. "I've told you a thousand times, always wear trainers. Far more practical. And all of this," he gestured to her ankle. "Could have been avoided."

Rose pulled a face and was about to retort when Mickey came over, nodding briefly at the Doctor and pulling out a small notepad. "Rose, I hate to do this…I need your statement. Can you tell me what happened?"

She closed her eyes and nodded, her grip tightening briefly on the Doctor's hand. "I left the station for coffee around…what…twelve-fifteen? I started walking towards the Round the Clock Café, just a block or two in that direction." She gestured vaguely. "I wasn't exactly diligent, I was…distracted. After maybe ten minutes, I felt a blow to my back which sent me to the ground. I landed badly on my ankle…"

The Doctor's breath hitched and he squeezed Rose's hand reflexively. She gave him a small smile and squeezed back before continuing her account.

"I couldn't get a good look at the assailant…it was dark, he was wearing a hood…it all went so fast. I managed to disarm him…grabbed what was nearby…turned out to be a piece of old pipe…"

"Sorry, Rose, sorry…" the Doctor interrupted. "It wasn't rusty, was it? Did you get cut? You are up to date on tetanus shots? Ma'am, she may need a tetanus shot…"

"Doctor…" Rose mumbled, letting her thumb rub soothingly over his hand.

"They'll take care of that at the hospital, sir," the paramedic told them as she adjusted the brace. "I don't carry them in the ambulance."

"Right…yeah…'course," the Doctor said, reaching his free hand to scratch at the back of his head. "Sorry, Rose…go on…"

She squeezed his hand. "Anyway…he dropped his weapon…a club or bat or something…it rolled down the alley, he might not have retrieved it, you should go check. In the respite, I managed to get to my feet, though I was unsteady because of the ankle injury. He got a physical blow in…right here," she gestured to her swollen cheek. "Which knocked me to the ground. I hit my head on the dumpster, resulting in this lovely knot right here." She looked upwards, acknowledging the cold pack against her head. "Anyway…he charged at me, but I managed to retrieve the taser from my coat pocket…got one good shot in and heard the assailant retreat before I lost consciousness briefly. When I awoke, you and Jake had already gotten here."

"Did he say anything?" Mickey asked.

"Nothing…he was silent. All I got was medium height, slightly stocky build…dark clothes, dark sweatshirt…sorry…"

"Rose, don't be sorry," Mickey told her. "We're…just…_really _glad you're okay. Rest up, yeah? I don't want to see your stupid mug for at least three days, you hear me?"

Rose grinned at him teasingly. "Yes, sir. Did you let my dad know that I was okay?"

"He was the first person I called," he reassured.

"All righty, DI Tyler, you're all set here," the young paramedic interrupted, giving her foot a gentle pat. "We're going to take you down to the hospital now. Will anyone be coming with you?"

Rose turned to the Doctor, the questioning already forming on her lips. Before she even had a chance to speak, he gently cupped her injured cheek. "I'm not leaving you, Rose."

She smiled at him softly, turning her face to place a kiss against his palm. Without breaking his gaze, she told the paramedic, "We're ready."

.For the next three days, his hand rarely left hers.

* * *

><p>Rose sighed and leaned back into her scratchy, starchy pillow. She'd been poked, prodded, scanned, and x-rayed for hours. It was nearing four in the morning, and all she wanted to do was sleep. A noise by the door made her turn, and she smiled sleepily as the Doctor walked in carrying two Styrofoam cups.<p>

"Hello!" he greeted brightly. "Despite the fact that the little shop is closed, I managed to infiltrate the cafeteria. They have tea. Herbal for you," he handed her a mug. "And boring old Earl Grey for me."

"Thank you," she replied. "How did you get past the nurses? Last I checked, visiting hours were over at eight..."

He smiled at her as he sat by the bed, his hand slipping almost unconsciously into hers. "I'm _very _charming."

Rose grinned weakly at him. She had certainly been on the receiving end of that charm and knew how potent it was. The nurses never stood a chance. She was fairly certain he'd get anything he wanted by simply flashing a smile or pouting his lips. His soft, persuasive lips that she had thoroughly enjoyed nibbling on earlier in that evening…

"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked quietly.

She realized she'd been caught staring and flushed. "Nothing…"

He smiled softly and squeezed her hand. This man had her dangerously distracted. He managed to make her forget that she'd nearly been killed by a deranged psychopath just a few hours before. In fact, she'd been thinking about him right before the attack; what an amazing kisser he was, how he'd felt pressed against her, and how she was falling dangerously fast for him. She'd been so thoroughly distracted that she hadn't noticed her assailant's footsteps or shadows. All of her training, all the years of work and persistence was pulled out of her head by the force of one kiss. The thought terrified her.

"Is this really the best idea?" she blurted out, staring directly into his eyes. "You and me?"

The Doctor looked like he'd had all the wind knocked out of him. "I think it's the best idea I've had in a long time. Why?"

"I dunno," she said, stroking her thumb across his hand reassuringly. "I don't want you to think that I don't _want _this," she gestured between the two of them. His face visibly relaxed at this. "But you're _very _distracting. I can't stop thinking about you and us and…everything."

"Do you honestly think putting the brakes on _now _will be any less distracting?"

"Well…"

"Rose," he said gently, bringing his hand up to cup her good cheek. "I don't know if I can keep away from you. Now that I know how you taste and smell and how you feel…I thought I wanted you before but now, I _crave _you…" He chuckled a bit. "Blimey, never thought I'd say that to anyone. The thought of not being able to kiss you or touch you…I might go completely mad."

Rose giggled. "Well, when you put it _that _way…" She sighed dramatically. "You make a valid point, Doctor."

"So pleased I could convince you." He leaned in, still cupping her cheek and pressed his lips to hers. Rose smiled into the kiss and relaxed, loving the way his mouth played gently against hers. Very quickly, though, a quiet little sob escaped his throat. He threaded his fingers in her hair and pressed himself even more firmly against her. His kiss took on an edge of desperation, and Rose could barely keep up. She simply ran her fingers soothingly through his hair, over his neck, and up and down his arms. When he finally broke the kiss, he pressed their foreheads together and took in several deep breaths.

"I almost lost you," he finally whispered. "I just found you, and I can't…"

"Shhh," Rose soothed. "I'm here, Doctor. I'm _fine. _I won't let him get me."

"You can't promise me that, Rose!" he told her, pulling back to look into her eyes. "You mad, amazing, _wonderful _humans with your short lifespans and your ridiculously primitive biology! He could have taken you from me so easily tonight and…"

"And he didn't!" she protested. "Doctor, I can take care of myself. It's part of my job. I wasn't even on my guard and I still _beat him. _Shouldn't we mark this one in the 'win' column?"

"Rose…"

"I can't just stand back and let him get away with this again," she told him, her voice brimming with emotion. "I _can't…_"

"I know," he soothed before taking in a deep breath. When he spoke again, his voice was so full of carefully controlled fury that Rose nearly shivered. "We will find him. He won't hurt anyone again…he won't hurt _you_ again." He held her gaze as he reached up and cupped her cheek once more. "I will _always _protect you."

"And I will protect you right back," she replied, covering his hand with hers and smiling at him. His face softened as he leaned in for another heartbreakingly gentle kiss.

Rose reluctantly pulled away when a jaw-cracking yawn escaped her mouth. The Doctor chuckled. "You need sleep, my darling."

"Yeah, yeah," she managed to breathe out through her yawn. "You're staying?"

"Right here…maybe to the cafeteria…or to badger the residents. Keep them on their toes."

Rose laughed and settled back into her pillows, the feeling of the Doctor's cool fingers stroking through her hair relaxing her more effectively than any sleep aid. She drifted off, the Doctor's voice cutting through her sleepy haze right before she succumbed completely.

"Yeah, Jack…she's okay…sleeping…listen, I'm gonna need everything you can bring me on the case…figure I have a few hours before she wakes up…"

* * *

><p>Jack arrived at Rose's door nearly an hour later, knocking gently and raising his eyebrows at the Doctor. He slipped his hand out of Rose's, immediately missing her warmth, and left the room, closing the door softly behind him.<p>

"How's she doing?" Jack asked, handing him a leather satchel.

"She's fine…considering…" the Doctor answered, inspecting the file folders. "Thanks for these. I didn't want to leave her…"

"I know, I understand…you haven't even been out here two minutes and you already want back in."

"Hmmm?" The Doctor turned back from Rose's room. "What makes you say that?"

"I'll let you get back," he said, grinning and squeezing the Doctor's shoulder. "You need anything?"

"Who, me?" the Doctor sniffed. "Nah. I've got tea, I've got case files…"

"You've got a hand to hold," Jack added.

The Doctor couldn't quite contain his smile. "What else do I need?"

"How can I argue with that?" Jack asked, his expression turning serious. "Really, though, Doctor…you sure you're all right?"

"Jack, I'm always-"

"All right. Yeah, I don't buy it this time."

The Doctor sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. "I will be soon, I promise. She's alive, she's safe…really all I can ask for right now, isn't it?"

"I think it's all any of us can ask for," Jack replied. "I'm going back to my flat, I need to catch a few hours of sleep. I have a feeling I'll be picking up my partner's slack for a little while…"

The Doctor grinned at his best friend. "You're just brilliant, you are."

"Yeah, yeah. Give Rose a kiss for me when she wakes up? On the cheek," he added hurriedly. "Lips are all your territory nowadays, aren't they?"

"Good night, Jack," the Doctor said, turning back to Rose's room.

"Night, Doc!"

The Doctor swore he heard the nurses' giggles for at least fifteen minutes after Jack left.

* * *

><p>The Doctor had files spread over every available surface and was using Rose's meal tray as his own temporary work station. He'd been working through the case reports and interviews from both the past and present investigations, looking for something that could link all the victims together. If he could find the commonality, he could use that as a jumping off point. So far he'd hit dead ends on every possibly link and was growing increasingly frustrated. He even considered plugging the DNA evidence into the TARDIS and tracking the murderer down that way, but with his ship already not working properly, he didn't want to take any chances. He also had no idea how he'd explain simply happening upon the killer by no discernable means.<p>

He pulled off his glasses and rubbed his eyes one-handed, the other still wrapped around Rose's. Though his vision was far superior to a human's, the dim light was a strain after a few hours. He hadn't wanted to turn on a lamp and risk waking Rose. His back was also starting to get stiff and sore from so many hours of sitting still, but the prospect of leaving Rose's side was far more unappealing than a bit of back pain.

A soft knock at the door interrupted his thoughts, and he turned to see one of the night nurses smiling gently at him. She was older, her hair pulled off her face into a clip, and was dressed in bright, cheerful scrubs. She was also carrying a tray with a small plate and carton of milk. "Hey, baby," she greeted warmly. "How's your work coming? Sorry this ain't much," she dropped the tray on the bedside table, and the Doctor was delighted to see honey graham crackers accompanying the milk. "It was all we had at the nurse's station."

"Palma!" he exclaimed. "Oh, you brilliant woman. This is wonderful, thank you."

"Any time, sugar. And how's our patient?" She began moving around Rose's bed, checking her IV and taking her pulse.

"No changes," the Doctor replied, taking a bite of cracker. "Oh, heavenly. I could kiss you."

Palma chuckled. "Save it," she gently admonished. "You know, your friend left us a little note we're still laughing about. 'Prescription for Captain Jack Harkness. Take twice at night orally and enjoy with pancakes in the morning.' He is too much!"

The Doctor chuckled. "That he is."

"Anyway, ring us if you need anything, honey pie." Palma turned to leave, but rounded on him at the last second, squeezing his shoulder comfortingly. "You know, she is very lucky to have a boyfriend like you."

"Boyfriend?" he asked, his nose wrinkling in thought. "Boyfriend…boyfriend…" He rolled the word around in his mouth, delighting in the way it fit his teeth. He grinned at Palma. "Oh…boyfriend…I think I like that…"

She laughed. "I hope you'd like that…and I think your girlfriend would, too!"

"My _girlfriend!_" he chirped out in surprised delight, squeezing Rose's hand and feeling his hearts clench at the sight of her sleeping peacefully next to him. "Oh, I think I like that even better…"

Palma laughed again. "Don't work too hard. Get some sleep if you can. This chair reclines, by the way."

She hit a button on the side of the chair and rolled the meal tray away. The Doctor's feet propped up and his discomfort practically melted away once he was in the new position. He groaned loudly and immediately clapped his hand over his mouth when Rose gave a soft snuffle next to him.

"Palma, you angel," he muttered. "This is perfect. I'm just gonna close my eyes for a second…"

"Sure, sugar," Palma said, smiling at him and turning back to leave the room.

When he woke up, all of his case files were neatly piled on the bedside table. The noises of a bustling hospital were slightly muted behind the closed door. Light was streaming into the room and Rose was sitting up in bed, gripping his hand, and grinning. The night of rest seemed to have done wonders for her. Her eyes were bright and alert, the swelling on her cheek had gone down considerably, and even the large lump on her temple was less noticeable.

If he'd thought she was beautiful the night before, at that moment, she was positively _radiant._

"Nice to watch you sleep for a change," she said teasingly. "You snore."

* * *

><p>After three days, Rose was going out of her mind. Between her parents and younger brother, the boys from the station, and the Doctor, she couldn't wait to get out of her flat. All of the attention was driving her spare, and all she wanted to do was go back to work and get on the case. Even though she wasn't cleared for the field, she could still pull her weight with paperwork and research. She knew the Doctor had been working while she was sleeping, and he wouldn't let her help in the slightest. He kept distracting her with daytime telly and foot rubs, propping her sprained ankle on a pillow and the good one in his lap while he pointed out who was an alien or which plots were complete rubbish.<p>

No matter how much enjoyed listening to him babble, she was ready to get back to work the day after being discharged from the hospital. The normalcy of her morning routine was a comfort, and the added difference of having the Doctor waiting in her kitchen with a cup of tea was enough to make her a bit more buoyant than usual. He smiled at her as she took the mug and sipped, her eyes closing as the familiar flavor flooded her senses.

"Perfect," she told him, reaching up to kiss him gently. "And you claim you don't do domestic. You've done fine the last few days."

"Ah, see, I've realized why that is," he answered, arm snaking around her waist and pulling her against him.

"Is that right?" Rose replied, grinning. "Are you going to share your revelation with the rest of the class?"

"Oh, yes," he breathed, leaning in to nuzzle her nose. "It's because I was with you. And you…" He leaned in close and brushed her lips with his. "…make me better."

"Oh," Rose said breathlessly, unable to answer further as he swept in for a heart-stopping kiss.

They continued for several minutes, kissing softly and enjoying the feel of gently roaming hands. Rose knew that he'd not take things further, not with her injuries, and she wasn't sure she was grateful or annoyed. They'd curled up together the night before, and the feel of him pressed against her had been absolutely maddening. She'd never felt this level of attraction before, even to her ex-fiancée. It was almost instinctual, like a knee-jerk reaction. Her entire body was fully aware of him and hummed in pleasure whenever he was close.

It was completely mad and completely improbable, but _completely _wonderful.

She was so lost in kissing him that she nearly pitched forward when the Doctor pulled away sharply as if he'd been shocked. His pupils dilated and his head jerked towards the door, the motion oddly graceful. Rose shivered.

"What, Doctor?" she asked. "What is it?"

Rather than answer, he gently handled her off to the side and headed towards the door. He jerked it open and looked up and down the hall.

"No one there…" he muttered before turning his gaze to the floor. He crouched down, brow furrowed, and picked up a small package. After he shut and locked the door behind him, he came back into the kitchen and showed Rose the manila envelope with her name printed neatly across it.

"No one was there," he repeated, one eyebrow raised as he glanced around the room.

"Should I open it?"

He gave the little envelope a scrutinizing stare before pulling the sonic screwdriver from his pocket. He scanned over it quickly and glanced at the readout.

"It's safe…nothing toxic or organic or explosive inside."

Rose shrugged and slid her finger underneath the flap. She shook out the envelope and all the blood drained from her face when the small, silver ring tumbled into her palm.

"He was _here_!" the Doctor exclaimed, tugging hard at his hair and taking off towards the door. "I _knew _there was someone…Rose, stay here! I'm locking the door, don't let anyone in! I mean it!"

Rose could hear the thumping of his trainers as he sprinted down the hallway, but her gaze was transfixed on the small, incongruous object. Her hand shook as she raised it up to glance inside the band.

Instead of the numeric code she was used to, the killer had pressed out a phrase. It was messy, complete unlike his usual tiny, precise numbering. It looked as though it had been done in a hurry. When she read the phrase, her knees buckled so badly that she had to steady herself against the counter. Her heart was beating frantically in her chest. Her hand began shaking so badly that she dropped the little object, listening as it pinged delicately across the kitchen floor.

_"Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf?"_


	13. Chapter 13

**I am so sorry this took FOREVER! RL has gotten insane with a new job and major knitting projects! There are maybe only one or two chapters left after this, hopefully they will be worth the wait!**

**I lost complete track of reviews, and I'm so sorry if I missed yours and didn't reply! I love every last one of them, and they definitely keep me going! THANK YOU THANK YOU! Enjoy!**

"Rose!" the Doctor called. When she didn't answer, he buzzed his sonic at the door and came into the kitchen, kneeling down in front of her chair. "He got away…I couldn't even follow his trail, there were too many scents once I got outside." He grasped her hands and rested his forehead against them. "I'm sorry, Rose…"

"Go…the ring…" she managed to stammer out. "He's…_really _mad."

"What?" He looked up and finally noticed her expression. "Rose, what happened?"

"The ring…" She shook her head and took a deep breath, centering herself before continuing. "It's not encoded…it fell over there…somewhere."

"Not encoded?" The Doctor glanced around on the floor and located the tiny object near the sink. He retrieved it and looked inside the band. "'_Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf?' _What's that supposed to mean?"

"I dunno," Rose said, wrapping her arms across her chest. "'S sort of…innocent…dunno why I'm having such a strong reaction to it…"

"Oh, Rose," he breathed, pulling up a chair next to hers and wrapping her in his arms. "He violated your space, of course you're upset. This is your home and…" He trailed off, shaking his head against the awful possibilities that threatened to overwhelm him. "Maybe you should come stay with me, Rose. My ship…well, the assembled hoards of Genghis Kahn couldn't break down the door and believe me, they've tried." He chuckled, and was relieved when she smiled slightly.

She shook her head. "That's sweet of you to offer, but…I can't stop living my life just because this guy is after me," she said, proudly lifting her chin. "That shows him that he won. I already beat him once, I am _never _letting him get one over on me again."

"Rose," he sighed, taking her hand. "It wouldn't be letting him win…it would be keeping you safe and _that_ is my priority at the moment."

"Today will just have to be the day then, won't it?" Rose teased, a bit of color returning to her cheeks as she gave him her patented tongue-in-teeth grin. He sighed in defeat. He wondered if she knew the effect that smile had on what was supposed to be superior biology…

"Come on," he said, offering his hand and pulling her into a standing position. He tucked the ring into his pocket. "We need to get going if we're going to catch a murderer today…"

* * *

><p>They rushed to the station, the Doctor moaning considerably about ridiculous 21st Century transportation, and barreled through the door, quickly gathering the team and explaining what happened. Mickey dispatched the forensics team, allowing Jake to go and supervise, but Rose fully expected they wouldn't find much. This was going to be all about slotting puzzle pieces together from now on, and she was more than ready for it.<p>

The Doctor left her at her desk with a kiss on the cheek, letting her know he was going to try and collect all of the rings from evidence, even some of the older ones if he could. He nodded hello at Mickey before breezing away with a quick, determined stride.

"Please tell me we've got something new," Rose begged Mickey as she sat down. "Is there anything?"

"We got Lara's and Jocelyn's transcripts," Mickey gestured to two large envelopes on his desk. "Finally. Not like we've got a murder investigation going on or anything. I was just about to open them when you came in."

"Great," Rose said. "Let's get to it. Good place to start as any, yeah?"

"Should you even be here, Rose?" Mickey interrupted, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at her.

"Of course I should be!" Rose protested. "This is my case!"

"Yeah, and you've just been assaulted."

"You said three days! My dad said three days! It's been three days!"

"I know, but…"

"Mickey," she implored, cupping her face in her hands and breathing in deeply before looking up and fixing him with a meaningful gaze. "I have to be here. Please. You of all people…"

Mickey sighed, defeated. "I won't say anything else. But if I see you're pushing yourself…"

"I expect loads of snarky comments," she grinned. "Thank you. Now, let's get these open and see if they hold the key to our case…"

* * *

><p>It was nearly an hour later, after going through each file with a fine-toothed comb, that something small, something seemingly insignificant slid into place in her mind.<p>

"Mickey, can I see Lara's class schedules?" she asked.

He shuffled the papers a bit and handed them over absently. Rose traced her fingers over each block of class until she found what she was looking for.

"Look at this," she said, sliding her chair over and plopping the two papers down on Mickey's desk. "They both had the same elective their third year…'Overview of Medieval Poetry and Literature' even though they weren't Literature majors."

"Who was the instructor?"

"Claudio Giannini," Rose told him. "Worth checking out?"

"Anything is worth checking out at this point," Mickey told her. "At least run him through Google."

Rose slid her chair back to her own computer and loaded up the web browser. The first websites she found were from various universities. Apparently, Dr. Giannini was a visiting professor who had gone to the various London universities to teach his courses on Medieval History and Literature. Rose scanned the educational biographies carefully, nothing interesting leaping out at her.

She opened up the next link and froze, completely unprepared for the site laid out before her. She felt all the color drain from her face and her heart began thumping wildly in her chest. She reached into her handbag, safely stashed under her desk, and began to frantically root around for the tiny, innocuous object she'd never given a second thought.

She held up the business card and compared the web address listed to the one on her screen. It matched. Apparently, Claudio Giannini wasn't just a Medieval Studies professor. He was also a purveyor of hand-crafted pieces of jewelry and went by the name of "Claude." Her hands started to shake as she opened the section on puzzle jewelry, and nearly fell out of her chair at the images on the page.

"Mickey," she said, fighting to keep her voice even. "You might want to see this…"

Mickey glanced up, looking at her quizzically before moving to stand behind her. He sucked in a breath when he saw the picture.

"Blimey," he muttered. "That's…"

"Yeah," Rose replied.

"We need to get the rest of these school files," Mickey said, pushing back from Rose's desk and picking up the phone on his own. "Every one, from every victim, even the old cases. And we need them five minutes ago. Then, if we're right about this, we're gonna need to write a search warrant. Can you get Jack and the Doctor back up here, see if Jake is on the way?"

"Got it," Rose said, drawing in a shaky breath and picking up her own phone. Even as she spoke, she could barely pry her attention away from the screen. All she could focus on were the little pictures of familiar silver rings decorating the seemingly innocent web page.

"I _knew _there was something off about him," the Doctor said, tugging his hair as he stared at the rings on the computer. "He was wearing gloves, I couldn't touch him and find out, and now…"

"It's invasive to read people without their knowledge," Jack reminded him. "Rude."

"I can deal with being rude if it saves a life, Jack," he snapped back.

"Jake's drafting a search warrant," Rose interrupted, grabbing the Doctor's hand and rubbing her thumb across his skin soothingly. "We've got PCs running all over London to grab files. Right now all we can do is wait."

"I don't like waiting," the Doctor sighed. "Completely unproductive, waiting. Can't we do anything else?"

Rose grinned. "I could send you out for lunch…?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Something actually related to police work, thanks."

"Coffee is directly related to police work," Rose told him, using her free hand to grab her bag and squeezing the Doctor's hand. "Come on, Doctor, I need you to caffeinate me."

He huffed impatiently. "I've brought down empires with a handful of words. Whole armies tremble at the mere mention of my name, and here I am, fetching coffee."

Rose smiled at him affectionately. "Yes, darling, you're very scary."

Jack chuckled. "Oh, Oncoming Storm? I take mine with two raw sugars and organic milk only, please."

Rose patted the Doctor comfortingly on the back as he muttered mutiny under his breath. "Hold down the fort while we're gone, Jack? Call us if you get anything?"

"Aye," he replied, making himself comfortable in Rose's chair and pulling a bag of peanut M&Ms from his pocket. As they left, Jack started tossing them into the air and catching them neatly in his mouth.

"Glad to see he's earning his keep," Rose muttered as they exited the station.

* * *

><p>Rose insisted on walking to the coffee shop despite her injuries, but the Doctor could tell that she was suffering some level of discomfort. Her body temperature was slightly elevated and, when he pulled her away from pedestrian traffic for a quick but thorough snog, he could taste the heightened prostaglandin in her system. He thought an offer to carry her piggy back the rest of the way would not be taken seriously, so he simply let her suffer in silence the rest of the short walk.<p>

As they were waiting in line, Rose's mobile began tinkling out a jaunty tune. She rolled her eyes and dug the offending device out of her suit pocket.

"Michael Richard Smith, I swear to God if I catch you near my mobile one more time…" she trailed off, listening intently. "What, seriously? What does he mean it's not sufficient? He just doesn't want to be late to meet his little piece of skirt on the side, that's what. God, I can't deal with these judges…okay, all right, we'll draft it with the new evidence and try again in the morning…yes, I will…I _will.._bye."

"What's going on?" the Doctor asked as they moved towards the counter.

"Judge won't sign the warrant. Something about not enough to justify an immediate threat. He's an idiot," she huffed. "Jake tried to push it through with just Lara and Jocelyn's records and the judge didn't go for it. We have to re-draft an ironclad warrant and then wait until the morning to submit. This is so frustrating."

"Humans," he muttered under his breath as they approached the smiling barista. "Yes, Earl Grey tea latte and a coffee, two sugars and skim, thanks." He dug a ten pound note out of his pocket and handed it over, tucking the change into the tip jar as he steered Rose towards a small table.

He caught a glimpse of her grinning face, tongue caught teasingly in her teeth, and he couldn't help but grin back. "What?"

"You…just bought my coffee. You didn't just buy my coffee, you _know _my coffee."

"_Well…_yes, but I am a genius, remember." He winked at her. "Isn't that what blokes are supposed to do? Buy their girlfriends coffee?"

"'S that what I am then?" Rose asked, still grinning. "Your girlfriend?"

"Yes, didn't I tell you?"

"Must have missed the memo."

"Oh, right, you were in a narcotic-induced sleep, that'll do it. Nurse Palma, from the hospital, brilliant woman, it was all her idea. Liked the way the words sound. They fit the teeth." He offered a small nod to the barista who delivered their ceramic mugs and turned back to Rose as she left. "Is that all right?"

"Oh, I suppose so…" Rose teased. "Though now, being that you're my boyfriend, you're gonna be subject to a whole new set of expectations, you know."

"Like buying your coffee?"

"Oh, yes," Rose nodded solemnly. "That is very important."

"Seems like such hard work, these human relationships…"

Rose's grin widened. "But there are rewards…"

Her voice had dropped low and seductive, her grin turning less teasing and more heated. His hearts started pounding out a fast rhythm as she leaned across the tiny table, pressing her lips to his in a brief but sensual kiss.

He blinked his eyes open slowly and smiled at her, not missing her wince as she sat back down in the hard wooden seat. The smile immediately faded from his face.

"Rose," he said, reaching across to grasp her hand. "You're still in pain."

"I'm fine," she said quickly, taking a sip of her coffee.

"You're body temperature is elevated," he barreled over her protests. "A normal physiological reaction to pain. I can taste the prostaglandin in your system. Oh, how angst-ridden is _that? _Sounds like a bad song lyric…_Your kisses taste like pain…_too bad in this case it's true."

Rose chuckled. "Don't worry about me, Doctor. I've got some paracetemol and a bubble bath waiting at home."

He grinned at her. "My tub is nicer, I'd wager…"

"Doctor…"

"No, really," he continued. "Gorgeous facilities on the TARDIS. Nicest tub in the universe. Well, when I say tub, I should really say pool…_well…_I guess the right word is grotto…except the water is wonderfully warm and it has _bubbles, _Rose! You like bubbles, right? 'Course you like bubbles. You aren't allergic to any exotic flora, are you?"

"Exotic…" Rose trailed off, shaking her head. "Doctor, really, I can…"

"Take care of yourself, yes, I know." He gripped her hand tighter. "I'm not saying you aren't…_capable_. I'm just…" He floundered for a bit, frustrated that Rose had once again put him at a loss for words. He sighed. "You don't have to be brave for me. Let me take care of you. Isn't that part of being a…_boyfriend?_ I'm new at this, and I know I'm bound to be rubbish at a lot of things. But I know I can help you with this." He reached over and grasped her other hand, looking directly into her lovely hazel eyes, and for a split second forgot entirely about the world outside of their table. "Please. Will you stay with me tonight?"

Rose held his gaze, seeming to study him intently. A slow smile spread across her face and he couldn't stop his answering grin in return.

"All right."

* * *

><p>They returned to the office and worked well into the evening, having to wait until every school file was in to complete the warrant and get it ready and primed for the judge. Once that was finally complete, the Doctor drove Rose to her apartment to pack an overnight bag and, after a quick stop for dinner, returned them to the LINDA office.<p>

"Well," the Doctor said, unlocking the office doors. "I don't believe you have actually seen the inside of our office…"

"No, I haven't. You two tend to spend most of your time at the station. Somebody might have gotten the wrong idea about your motivations…"

"I was just trying to impress a pretty girl," he replied cheekily. At her chastising look, he grinned. "Oh! Was I supposed to be doing actual work?"

"I'm telling," she sing-songed. He squeezed her hand and led her into the darkened office, switching on lights and hanging their coats on the rack by the door.

"So, tour," he said, leading her into the small space. "Desks, computers, sofa, television, kitchen, all very exciting. But _this…_" He led her, grinning, to a corner where there stood a tall, old-fashioned blue police box. "Is the TARDIS."

His voice was so full of pride that Rose couldn't help her answering grin in return. "So, this is where you live? In a blue box?"

"Oh, Rose Tyler," he said, delighted. "This is _so much more _than a blue box…"

He slid a key into the simple Yale lock and pushed the door open. Rose turned to him cheekily. "The door says 'pull to open,' you know."

"I'm a rebel," he told her, leaning in for a brief kiss. "Go on, then. Go inside."

"This houses the best bubble bath in the universe?"

"Just go. Cheeky."

Rose stepped through the doors and immediately froze at the cavernous room before her, a room that couldn't possibly fit inside the wooden box she'd just entered. She blinked and turned, peeking back out the door at the Doctor's beaming face. "Are you serious?"

"Very, _very _serious."

"But…" she turned back and took in the graceful coral struts, the long, pulsing column that stood proudly in the center of the room. It was gorgeous inside, and Rose gasped as a warm feeling of welcome rushed over her.

"Is that…?" she asked, turning to the Doctor who had stepped into the room behind her.

"That's the TARDIS," he murmured, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "She's _incredibly _happy you're here. Almost like she's welcoming you home." He sniffed. "She's very dramatic."

Rose giggled as the ship let out a low, almost annoyed, hum. "I know you said she was alive, but I never thought…"

"I think she's showing off," he sniffed again. "And I promised you the bath of your life. Nothing better for you right now. Unless you'd let me take you to the med bay and fix that ankle…?"

"And how do I begin to explain that I'm magically healed after three days? I appreciate it, but I think you'd better keep a low profile. A bath sounds perfect." She turned to him, her smile turning heated as she ran her hands up his chest. "Don't suppose I could persuade you to join me…"

His breath caught and his eyes went dark. He caught her hands and took in a deep breath, placing a gentle kiss to her palm. "That…might not be the best idea…you're still injured and…"

"And…?" she whispered, placing gentle kisses along his neck. She tried rising up on her tiptoes to reach his earlobe, but let out a little whimper of pain as her ankle protested.

His eyes shot open and he gently pushed her back, inspecting her face carefully as he quickly regained control of his breathing. "And that's enough of a reason. Though," he said, pulling her into his arms. "Once you're healed…_well_…I make no promises."

"I'll hold you to that…" she trailed off, grinning, as he bent down to capture her lips once more.

* * *

><p>Rose sighed as she relaxed into the warm, fragrant water. The Doctor had been right, this was the bath of her life. The room was breathtaking, almost like a rainforest with a graceful, leafy canopy above her and gorgeous, colorful plants and flowers surrounding the large, sunken tub. He'd added some alien oils that smelled amazing and were helping relax her tense muscles and sooth the lingering aches from her attack. The bubbles in the tub were tinted pink and felt impossibly like satin against her skin.<p>

"Rose?" the Doctor's muffled voice accompanied his light knock at the door. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, fine!" she called back, grinning to herself at his attempt to sound casual.

"Good, good…" he replied. Rose could practically see him rubbing the back of his neck in discomfort. "Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm okay…" she teased, her smile widening.

"Right, right…"

She sighed dramatically. "It's awfully quiet, though…I wouldn't say no to some company…"

The door opened so quickly that she had to giggle. The Doctor strode in casually, his hands tucked into his trouser pockets, and Rose was quite disappointed that most of her body was covered by an opaque layer of the thick bubbles. "Can't deny you anything, can I?"

"I'll remember that." She reached a soapy arm out towards him. He grinned and accepted the invitation, grasping on to her hand and sitting down on the edge of the tub.

"Hello," he said, dipping his head to give her a kiss. "How are you feeling?"

"Lovely," she sighed, relaxing back into the tub. "Almost makes me forget that we need to search the home of a dangerous murderer tomorrow…"

The Doctor rested his chin in his hands, studying her intently. "You don't need to do anything tomorrow but sit behind a desk, you know…"

"Oh, yeah…" Rose rolled her eyes. "Like I'm gonna let you boys go out and have all the fun."

"I'd _really _feel better if you stayed at the station…_technically _you aren't cleared for the field…"

She glared at him. "I'd really feel better if I could deliver a sudo-chop to his manly bits. Doesn't mean I'm gonna get what I want, now does it?"

"Rose…"

"Doctor…"

He sighed. "No stopping you, is there?"

"Nope." She grinned, knowing full well the power said expression seemed to have over him. Almost on cue, his face relaxed and he smiled softly back at her.

"I suppose it was silly to even try."

"Yes, quite," she reached a hand out to cover his once more. "I'll be okay. I promise, I won't go into the house until it's completely safe. I'll stay outside. But I need to be there."

He sighed once more, rubbing his hands over his face. "You know, no one told me that human relationships were so high-maintenance. You're _very_ lucky you make such lovely arm candy."

Rose laughed at him. "You think you're so clever."

Before he could come back with something snappy and witty, Rose let out a huge, jaw-cracking yawn. He chuckled gently. "You're just about done in here, I'd wager. I've got a lovely bed waiting for us if you want to turn in early?"

"Sounds brilliant." She threw him a cheeky smile. "You gonna help me out of here? I am injured, after all."

He sucked in a breath. Apparently, he hadn't considered the naked aspect of bathing. "Do you…need help?"

"Might do…" she told him coyly. "Could you grab my dressing gown?"

"Course," he said, gulping. He turned and grasped the soft terrycloth garment, turning back just in time to see Rose begin to rise from the tub. He immediately squeezed his eyes shut. "You are sorely testing my resolve, Detective Inspector Tyler."

She grinned, knowing that the smile would be audible in her voice. "You're allowed to look, you know."

"If I do, I may not be able to stop myself," he said, his voice dropping and making her breath catch. He grasped onto her hand and let her climb out of the tub, holding out the robe as she slid her arms into it and secured the belt around her waist. She turned in his arms once she was covered and wrapped her arms around his waist. He opened his eyes and gazed down at her. "And _when _I finally make love to you, believe me…you will need all of your stamina…"

"You keep making all these promises," she told him. "I'm hoping you live up to the hype, old man."

The Doctor grinned and bent down to kiss her thoroughly. By the time he broke away, they were both panting. "You're torturing me, you do realize?"

"I can surmise." She moved her hands from his waist and grasped onto his. "Take me to bed?"

"Of course," he murmured, wrapping his arm around her and leading her towards his bedroom.

* * *

><p>Rose emerged from the walk-in closet after the Doctor was already settled against the pillows. He groaned as soon as she came into his view, running his hands over his face in frustration. "Do you have any idea what you're doing to me?"<p>

"Whatever do you mean?" Rose grinned at him, tongue tucked between her teeth as she limped over to the bed. Her silky violet pajamas were really more of an afterthought, a pair of tiny shorts and a lace-trimmed camisole the only thing covering the full expanse her creamy skin to his gaze.

"You know perfectly well what I mean," he told her as she settled next to him. She instantly curled into his side and he wrapped an arm around her, sighing in contentment.

"Mmmm," she murmured. "I don't think I've mentioned it before, but you are just fantastic at sleepovers."

The Doctor chuckled. "Never had such a nice compliment in my life." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and tugged her closer against him. "You're not so bad yourself."

"Thanks," she mumbled, yawning once again.

"Sleep," he told her gently. "You're safe here."

"'Course I am. I'm with you."

His breath caught at the casual comment as Rose drifted off in his arms. He felt her breathing turn deep and even, soothing him immensely. She felt safe with him. Not because they were in the TARDIS, but because she was with _him. _And he knew, at least for that moment, that he could protect her. She was _there_, and all was right with the world.

He never realized such contentment could come from simply holding a sleeping human in his arms.

_Not just any human_, he thought. _Only Rose…_

He lay awake for some time, enjoying Rose's warmth. It was difficult to wrap his frankly magnificent brain around the fact that, barely four days ago, he'd nearly lost her. Timelines were always in flux, and he'd never been so grateful for that in his entire existence. If one little aspect of the event had shifted, if Rose hadn't been able to reach her weapon or even if she'd left the station a few moment earlier or later, she wouldn't be lying in his arms, safe and breathing and warm and _oh so _alive.

Rose whimpered a bit, breaking him out of his reverie as he looked down at her. Her face was screwed up, and the soft little noises of distress were making his hearts ache for her. He gathered her tighter in his arms, pressed a kiss against her forehead and began whispering gentle words of comfort, reminding her that he was right there and would never let anything happen to her.

His voice and touch must have been soothing to her, even in sleep. She calmed immediately, curling into his embrace and placing a sleepy kiss to his chest. She whispered his name and smiled, though she never once opened her eyes.

He didn't sleep that night. Instead, he stayed awake, watching her carefully as she slept and ensuring that he kept her nightmares at bay.


	14. Chapter 14

**This is it! The final chapter! Before you all come at me with torches and pitchforks, I promise there are two sequels on the way, a one-shot that is already mostly complete and a multi-chapter that will (hopefully) tie up all of the loose ends. **

**You all have been so amazing, your reviews have made me laugh and cry and have kept me going! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH! I'm sorry that lately I haven't been responding consistently, life has gotten very crazy but I really appreciate you all sticking with me! My betas have been incredible, and this would not have been written if it wasn't for them. **

**Thank you all again, and make sure you've got me on alert for the sequels!**

**Please note that this chapter briefly discusses the sensitive issues of child and spousal abuse.**

Rose jolted awake the following morning, disoriented and wondering briefly why there was a guitar strumming near her head. As she grew more awake, she registered the guitar sound as her alarm, and she swatted blearily for her mobile before she heard a low chuckle. A cool hand grasped hers gently, stilling her motions and the noise stopped soon after.

"Nice thing about dating a Time Lord," a gentle voice murmured in her ear. "You'll never need one of those again."

Remembering suddenly where she was, Rose turned to face the Doctor, who was smiling softly at her. He smoothed the wild stray hairs away from her face and placed a light kiss on her lips. Rose was grateful that she was already lying down, because her knees likely would have given out at that very moment.

"Good morning," he told her, brown eyes crinkling with his smile.

"Morning," Rose whispered back, capturing his lips once more. Evidently, morning breath was not a deterrent to Time Lords, as the Doctor simple groaned and deepened the kiss, grasping the sides of her head and pulling her closer against him. Rose kissed back just as eagerly, teasing his tongue with hers and running her hands through his hair.

Before she knew it, he had rolled her onto her back so gently it was as though she was made of glass. He hovered over her, not breaking their kiss or pressing any weight onto her bruised ribs and began to trail kisses down her neck.

"_God_," she choked out, arching her back as much as she could and moaning as her hips came into contact with his. "Doctor, please..."

"We can't," he murmured against her neck, darting his cool tongue against her pulse point.

"You won't hurt me," she gasped, moving her hands from his hair to clutch his shoulders. "Just be very..." she trailed off, placing a gentle kiss to his ear. "..._very,_" she repeated, adding just a bit of her tongue and teeth to the mix. "..._gentle..._"

The Doctor gasped and resumed the assault on her mouth, the intensity of the kiss making her head spin. Rose writhed against him, knowing she'd finally broken his careful control, and began to audibly pant as his hand worked its way slowly under her camisole.

"_Oh, Mickey, you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind! Hey, Mickey! Hey, Mickey!"_

Rose cried out in frustration against his mouth. The Doctor immediately broke their kiss and pressed his forehead against hers, fighting to catch his breath even as he smiled gently. "You partner seems to be calling us..."

"I am going to kill him," she growled. "This gorgeous bloke has got me in his bed and I think he was about to have his wicked way with me."

The Doctor chuckled, giving her a soft kiss on the lips and rolling onto his back. "There is an ongoing murder investigation happening right now. We have a lot to do."

"Yeah," Rose agreed, grabbing her mobile from the bedside table. "And unfortunately, that does not include each other."

The Doctor laughed, and Rose answered Mickey's call. "Can I help you?"

"Good morning, sunshine!" her partner chirped into the phone. "We've got a warrant signed, sealed, delivered."

Rose huffed. "When will criminals learn to have better timing?"

"I'll make sure Giannini knows how badly he's interfered with your love life. We're meeting there in an hour, I'll rally the troops. Do you still have the address?"

"Yeah, in my bag somewhere," Rose said, stretching her limbs and grinning at the dark look the Doctor gave her. "We'll see you there."

She clicked off her mobile and turned to the Doctor, grinning. "Whole universe is against us, I swear."

He chuckled a bit, running a hand through his hair in discomfort. "Rose, I'm sorry. I don't usually...lose control like this. You have me at quite the disadvantage." He turned and met her gaze. "You are...very beautiful. Time Lords don't generally feel this level of attraction. It was considered a weakness among the older, stuffier generation."

"Good thing you were such a rebel," she teased.

"Yes, well," he replied, a bit flustered. "Anyway, what I'm _trying _to say is that...holding you all night was sorely testing my supposedly superior self-control and you're wearing those tiny little jim jams and you kept..._rubbing _up against me and..."

"Doctor," Rose interrupted, sitting up and placing her fingers against his lips. "Was I objecting?"

He grinned. "No, no...I think I would remember that. In fact, you were quite _emphatic_ in your appreciation..."

"Quite," Rose purred, tugging on his vest and pulling him close for a brief, gentle kiss. "Now, the sooner we take care of this, the sooner we can come back here...or to my place, I'm not picky."

"As soon as you're healed, I promise. I won't risk your health."

"Yeah, well...I can be _very _persuasive."

"I don't doubt it," he grinned. "Didn't we have somewhere to be?"

"Did we? I was under the impression we were off duty."

"Clever, but I don't think it will work on our fine colleagues." He leaned in to kiss her once more before cupping her face and fixing her with a winning smile. "Now, Detective Tyler, if you thought I had a nice tub...you oughta see my shower."

They arrived on the scene slightly over an hour later. It was a warm, sunny day, and the Doctor pulled up in his little Echo with Rose still vocally expressing her appreciation for his choice in eyewear. The shades made him look debonair and mysterious, and Rose couldn't help the long string of complimentary statements that flowed from her lips. The Doctor scoffed in false modesty, and his sexy smirk did absolutely nothing but enhance the overall appearance.

Rose was very grateful they pulled up to the scene when they did.

Mickey, Jake, and Jack were already waiting outside with a group of officers, the firearms team assembled and ready to clear the residence. It was a shabby home, but large for the outskirts of London. It looked as though it was once a lovely, comfortable place that had fallen into the hands of someone who couldn't be bothered to care for it. The grey paint was peeling horribly, the roof was missing several tiles, and the front porch had fallen into horrible disrepair. Oddly enough, it was exactly what Rose pictured when she considered the home of a crazed serial killer.

"You ready to do this, Inspector Smith?" She greeted.

"We all are," he told her. "Just waiting for your go-ahead, make sure there's nothing last-minute we need to know before going in."

"Just keep alert, watch your backs," she said. "You getting anything, Dr. Smith?"

He stared at her for a moment, and Rose grinned before he started slightly in realization. "Oh, right! Dr. Smith, that's me. Well, most of this is blocked since I'm involved. But keep each other safe and stick to the warrant, I'd say."

Mickey turned to address the team, reminding them that the warrant extended to blunt objects, computer equipment, anything related to jewelry making, and any files or paperwork related to the victims. He turned back to Rose, his expression serious. "Rose, will you please wait out here with the Doctor and Jack until we clear the premises?"

Rose rolled her eyes in response. "If I must..."

"You must," Jake told her, his eyes twinkling. "See you in a bit then."

"Let's move!" Mickey said, following the team into the dilapidated old building.

Jack turned to the pair of them as soon as the team had entered the home. He grinned and wagged his eyebrows. "So...what were you two doing last night?"

The Doctor wrapped an arm casually around Rose's shoulder. "Oh, little of this, little of that. Nothing exciting."

"I gave him a pedicure and we braided each other's hair. You should have seen him, it was adorable," Rose teased. "I got pictures."

"Did not," the Doctor replied, placing a gentle tickle to her side, safely above her bruised ribs. Rose giggled, squirming a bit out of reach as the Doctor smiled brilliantly at her.

"Aw," Jack cooed. "You two are so cute!"

"Oi," the Doctor protested. "Time Lords are not cute."

"On the contrary, I happen to think you're very cute," Rose replied.

"You sly dog!" Jack told him, walking over and bumping his fist against the Doctor's. "Didja hear? She thinks you're _cute!_"

Before the Doctor could respond, an odd rustling came from the bushes behind them, and their heads snapped instantly towards the sound. Rose, who was facing the pair, noticed a slight movement and instinctively reached for the tazer in her pocket.

Before Rose's hand even made it to her coat, in the split second that all three of their focuses were elsewhere, she suddenly found her upper body immobilized and the cold steel of a blade pressed against her throat.

"Doctor!" she screeched before the blade pressed more firmly against her. She winced and the Doctor and Jack spun around. Jack immediately pulled an odd looking gun from inside his pocket and trained it on her and her assailant. The Doctor, meanwhile, had gone abnormally still, his eyes were focused on her with a single minded intensity and had turned completely dark. His face was pure steel, an expression that Rose had never seen before. She was reminded once more that the man in front of her was completely alien, and she wasn't a bit frightened. Though she did have the feeling that her assailant should definitely feel that way.

"You are not allowed to talk, Princess," a vaguely familiar voice said directly in her ear. The hot breath nearly made her gag.

"You are going to let her go, Claude," the Doctor said, his voice eerily calm though his face had turned colder and more fierce than she'd ever seen before. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she ran through her self-defense training in her head. His blade was directly against her jugular and any movement could shift it. She couldn't take that risk, not when there was a possibility of talking him down.

"Claude, think about this," Rose said quietly. "I know you don't want to add murder of a law enforcement official to your already impressive rap sheet."

"Is one life sentence any different than the next, Inspector Tyler? I'm already facing several, what's one more?"

"Jack, what's keeping you?" the Doctor called, not taking his eyes off them.

"I can't get a clear shot, Doctor! She's too close to him."

"Claude, listen to me," the Doctor pleaded, holding up his hands even as his countenance remained stiff and alert. Rose gripped Claude's forearm, even though she knew it was useless. The instant she moved, he would slice her throat. He had proven to be a complete psychopath and she knew the Doctor wouldn't take any chances. "I understand what it's like to be clever. Clever and different, the two of us. I know what it's like, never to be good enough despite being better than everyone around us. Of course you had to prove it, _of course _you did. And what better way is there than outsmarting London's finest?"

"Shut up!" Claude spat. "Stop acting like you _know _me. This is pathetic, Dr. Smith. Child's play. My father was a cop, I know how this works. He made sure I knew all the tricks in the book."

"So you know how this goes," he continued, still moving steadily towards her as Claude led her backwards. "And it does not end well."

"It does if I take her," he said, gently stroking the blade down her cheek. He didn't press down enough to cut her skin, but it still made her heart leap in her chest. "The one that got away. You are a worthy adversary, Inspector Tyler. Combined with Dr. Smith here, you are nigh unstoppable. Which is why I _have_ to stop you. You understand."

"I understand you're completely mental," Rose mumbled.

"I AM NOT MENTAL!" Claude cried, pressing the blade firmly back to her throat. That had certainly struck a nerve. "I am not. I am _brilliant. _A _genius."_

"Rose," the Doctor fixed his intense, pleading gaze on her. "Please..."

Her heart clenched as their eyes locked. Her Doctor. He'd been through so much, had lost nearly everyone that he'd ever loved. They'd finally found a bit of happiness with each other. She couldn't bear leaving him.

"All clear, guys! Get in here!" Mickey's voice called from the house.

In the split second that followed, Rose felt her feelings for the Doctor flood her, and time seemed to slow. She wasn't ready to put a word to them, not yet, but she could feel it in her bones that they were worth fighting for. That combined with the adrenaline coursing through her veins caused her next actions, and she knew they were either brilliant or incredibly stupid. She could consider the consequences later.

Claude wasn't expecting the noise from the house, she could tell by the way his head snappedd back, distracted, towards Mickey's voice. Immediately, Rose delivered an elbow to his gut. The knife scraped down her neck, she felt it press shallowly into her skin but the pain was a complete afterthought. She delivered a stomp to his foot, a punch to his groin, and the same elbow that hit his stomach made a satisfying crack against his nose as she spun out of his grasp, taking his right arm with her as she twisted it behind his back.

"Down on the ground!" she commanded. "Now!"

He continued to struggle against her hold, but Rose managed to wrench his left arm to join his right and forced him to the ground. With a knee against the small of his back, Rose deftly cuffed him.

"Claude Giannini, you are under arrest for the murder of Lara Johnston, Jocelyn Taylor, Diane Preston and the attempted murder and assault of a law enforcement official...you do not have to say anything but it may harm your defense if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court, anything you do say may be given in evidence..."

Rose didn't even register the Doctor and Jack approaching them. She looked up and noticed Jack with his blaster pointed directly at Giannini's head while the Doctor crouched down, a hand placed comfortingly on Rose's back as he addressed the man on the ground.

"You are very, _very _lucky, Mr. Giannini," he began, his voice low and menacing. Rose shivered. "This is the second time you tried to take someone of extreme value to me. Claude, believe me when I tell you that I am one of the last people you want to test. Now I want you to consider yourself lucky, every single day, that I did not dump you in an event horizon of a collapsing galaxy or trap you forever in chains forged in the heart of a dwarf star. Because I could have..._so _easily." He ducked his head lower so that he could look directly into the man's eyes. "This woman made me better. If you had taken her away from me..._well_...let's just say I would not want to be in your position."

"Um..."

The Doctor and Rose glanced up. Somehow, in the time that the Doctor had been speaking to Giannini, the entire team, including Mickey and Jake, had assembled around them.

Rose stood up, looking a bit sheepish. "So, uh...we got the bad guy?"

Jake looked positively pitiful. "Why do we _always _miss the good parts?!"

Rose sat, fidgeting, in the back of an ambulance for the second time in less than a week. She allowed the medic to clean the shallow wound on her neck and secure it with a few butterfly bandages. The bleeding had stopped quickly, the medic babbling about her supposedly superior clotting factors, but Rose wasn't paying attention. She was watching the Doctor give his statement to one of the officers, smiling gently at him every time he glanced over and their eyes locked. Immediately after he finished, he crossed the yard and hopped gracefully over the wrought-iron fence, fixing Rose with a smile that caused her heart to nearly melt.

"Hello," he greeted, eyes suspiciously moist in the bright sunlight.

"Hello," she replied, grinning broadly at him and grabbing his hand. "We've got to stop meeting like this."

He chuckled, running his free hand through his hair. "Rose...what you did today...I mean, the way you..." He trailed off and huffed, seemingly frustrated.

"Yes?" she prompted, squeezing his hand.

He blew out a noise breath. "Well, what I was _trying _to say was...well...the way you executed your training and took the suspect down was..."

"Was...?" she once again prompted. "Awful? Gorgeous? Purple? Sexy?"

Instead of responding, he climbed into the ambulance, grasped the back of her head as gently as he could and pressed his lips firmly to hers. They both ignored the slightly embarrassed cough of the medic and the catcalls from the officers on the scene, instead deepening the kiss as Rose felt her entire body flush in response.

After what could have been several seconds or several hours, the Doctor pulled away, resting his forehead against hers and breathing deeply. "Sexy," he managed to croak out. "Very..._very _sexy..."

"Not so bad yourself," Rose replied teasingly, chasing after his lips for another kiss before pulling back reluctantly. "I'm so glad you're all right."

"Oh, Rose," he practically whispered, cupping her cheek in his hand. "You have no idea..."

Much later, after processing and interrogation, after typing their reports and filing them with the chief, after receiving word that the DNA sample taken from Giannini matched that sample from Jocelyn's fingernails and confirmation that the metal plating chemicals found in his cellar were a match to the components in each of the victims' rings, Rose and the Doctor were standing on the other opposite side of a two-way mirror. They were watching Janice evaluate Claude, and they'd rarely seen the jovial, friendly woman so deadly serious. Her ever-present grin was nowhere to be found as she talked with him about his childhood, upbringing, and experiences as an adjunct professor.

Once she exited the room, she immediately turned to them with a sigh, running her fingers through her dark tresses. "You want my professional or personal diagnosis?"

"Oh, I dunno," Rose replied. "Bit of both?"

Janice smiled. "Well, personally, this guy is a few crayons short of a box, if you know what I mean. Professionally, he's a high-functioning sociopath and has a huge dose of narcissistic personality disorder to boot. Pleading insanity won't help him. He knows what he did was wrong. It was all carefully planned and premeditated. He's calculating, manipulative, feels no remorse, and is bat-shite cray-cray. I don't think you're going to have any problems with a conviction."

"Thank you, Janice," Rose told her, glancing back at the mirror. Claude was leaning back in his chair, head tilted and eyes closed, looking completely at ease. "How...?"

"How does someone get to this point?" Janice finished for her. "Well, it all goes back to the parents, doesn't it? Dad apparently was a corrupt, violent police officer. His mum was a gorgeous blonde secretary that, despite the fact that he hand-made their wedding rings, his father brutalized on a daily basis. Violence is a learned behavior, and after his mother died from 'falling' down the stairs, he became his dad's punching bag. His mother had always praised him judiciously, so when that praise ended, he needed to find that validation elsewhere."

Rose sighed, rubbing her hands over her face. "Blimey, I need a coffee."

The Doctor grinned, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and tugging her into his side. "Best coffee in town, I hear. The French Vanilla creamer is to die for."

"Oh, yes," she teased back. "I hear the machines are on...automatic drip?"

"Best part of waking up..."

"Oi, could you at least wait until I've left to engage in foreplay? Thank you very much," Janice scolded playfully. "I've got to get back to Mr. Jury. I've been a bit nauseous, so he's made a lovely soup chock full of fresh ginger. What a guy, eh?"

"The best," Rose replied, grinning at her. "Sorry you're not feeling well. That why your hair hasn't changed in the last week?"

"Ah, no," she replied, cheeks flushing. "Turns out hair dye is bad for pregnant women...who'd of thunk it, eh? So this is me, au natural for the next eight months."

"Oh, Janice!" Rose exclaimed, stepping out of the Doctor's loose embrace to wrap her friend and co-worker in a hug. "That's so wonderful! Congratulations!"

"Absolutely brilliant, Janice," the Doctor said, a huge grin on his face as he shook her hand heartily. "Mazel tov, sweetheart. You know," he continued, patting his pockets. "In my culture, we have a tradition. Pregnant women were...well..._rare _and considered cause for celebration among some families. Custom dictates that we present them with..._aha!" _He pulled a thin gold chain from his jacket pocket, face triumphant. At the end of the chain was a small crystal, swirled with varying shades of turquoise and purple. "This is a stone forged in the natural springs of Gallifrey. They are extremely rare and take thousands of years to form. It is said," He moved behind Janice, fastening the chain around her neck. "That this crystal holds remarkable mental healing properties. And aids in nausea relief. Perfect recipe for an expectant mother."

Janice grinned and admired the small crystal, her eyes mysteriously damp. "Thank you, Dr. Smith. This is...absolutely lovely. Really. Thank you."

"Of course," the Doctor replied, moving back to wrap an arm around Rose's shoulders. She gazed at him, eyes shining, marveling at the remarkable man next to her. "Best of luck to you both."

She started to laugh as tears fell down her cheeks. "Bloody hormones. Pardon me, darlings, but I must go snuggle with my man. Thank you again, Dr. Smith. You are _very_ lucky, Rose."

"Yeah," she agreed, winding her arm around the Doctor's waist and casting an adoring glance up at him. He met her gaze and made a happy noise in his throat, tugging her closer to him. "I am."

He grinned, dipping in for a soft kiss before turning back to the window. Rose gazed at Claude and sighed, completely torn. On one hand, her heart ached for the poor little boy who had to watch his mother beaten and brutalized, and then had to take the brunt of it on his own. On the other hand, she had to recall the book she'd read recently, about a young boy who's mother had starved him, burned him, and locked him in a bathroom with a bucket of ammonia. He had not turned into a horrible, crazed killer. Instead, he was a loving father who became a motivational speaker and spoke out against child abuse every single day.

"Free will," Rose murmured.

"Pardon?" the Doctor asked, tugging her closer, ostensibly to hear her better. "You'll have to speak up, Inspector."

She gave him a small smirk before turning serious once more. "People grow up with all sorts of difficulties and challenges...some worse than others. But you still can choose between right and wrong, good and evil..." She glanced at their murderer once again through the glass. "He made the wrong choice."

"But we got him," the Doctor told her. "We make a good team, DI Tyler."

She grinned at him brilliantly. "That we do, Dr. Smith. I look forward to working with you again."

He grinned back, wrapping her in his arms and holding her close. "And I with you, Inspector."

_Epilogue...Six Weeks Later_

_She emerged miraculously from the TARDIS, a golden, glowing goddess. Her blonde tresses flowed freely around her head, though there was no wind. It was pure energy that swept her hair up like a halo._

_He had no idea who she was. But she was gorgeous, and somehow, intrinsically and instinctively _his_. He knew it, deep in his bones, that this woman was essential to his very existence. Time flowed around her like a river, graceful and loving and seemed to caress her with great affection. Time loved her, completely _adored_ her, and he had no idea how something like this could even happen. _

"I am the Bad Wolf...I create myself..."

"I want you safe," she said. "My Doctor..."

The Doctor shot upright in bed, breathing heavily. Already, the dream was burned into his brain, his beautiful girl glowing with the golden energy of Time, and he had no idea what it meant.

He glanced down next to him, Rose still sleeping peacefully. He ran his hands over his face. Something about the dream was niggling at him, like it was something he should know better than he knew himself. Like it wasn't a dream, more like memories breaking through.

Somehow, he instinctively knew that the lost memories of his regeneration were finally breaking through to the surface.


End file.
